Around 8,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh

Tuesday, September 10, 2024 

The Bangladeshi Foreign Affairs office reported Tuesday last week that around eight thousand Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar had entered the country in the past two months. The conflict between Myanmar's military junta and the Arakan Army has intensified, especially in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. According to Bangladeshi officials, the country cannot provide humanitarian shelter for any more refugees, and there has been discussion to prevent further arrivals. On August 25, which marked the seven-year anniversary of the conflict that forced the Rohingya to flee to Myanmar, tens of thousands of people attended rallies in Bangladeshi refugee camps.

With millions of Rohingya refugees, Bangladesh officials are now calling for international aid to help with the humanitarian crisis, as Myanmar currently does not grant basic human rights to the Rohingya, and they are unable to return home.

"Bangladesh is already over-burdened and unable to accommodate any more Rohingya," said Mohammad Shamsud Douza, a Bangladeshi official who works with refugees.

Another official, Mohammad Touhid Hossain, asked India and other countries to allow refugees to enter and the international community to pressure the Arakan Army to cease its attacks on Rohingya. The Bangladeshi cabinet has planned a multi-day meeting, scheduled for this week, to discuss the refugee situation.

Sources

• "Around 8,000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh due to escalating violence in Myanmar" — EFE, September 4, 2024
• Ruma Paul. "Thousands of Rohingya flee to Bangladesh from violence in Myanmar, official says" — Reuters, September 4, 2024