Dhaka: In a long-anticipated development, Myanmar has confirmed that 180,000 Rohingya refugees currently residing in camps in Bangladesh are eligible for repatriation, according to an official statement released by the Bangladeshi government on Friday. The confirmation follows high-level talks held in Bangkok between representatives from both countries on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit.
The 180,000 names were drawn from a larger list of 800,000 Rohingya submitted by Bangladesh in six batches between 2018 and 2020. According to the statement from the Press Wing of Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, Myanmar has pledged to expedite the verification process for the remaining 550,000 names on the original list.
This development marks a potential breakthrough in the stalled repatriation process that has lingered since 2017, when a violent military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State forced over a million Rohingyas to flee to Bangladesh. The refugees have since been housed in what has become the world’s largest refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar.
The latest announcement was made following a meeting between Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh’s high representative, and Than Swe, Myanmar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. Myanmar also acknowledged that the verification process for an additional 70,000 names is underway, pending the review of photographs and identification documents.
While the diplomatic move is being viewed as a positive step by the Bangladeshi government, it has been met with skepticism and disappointment among many Rohingya refugees. “After all these years, they are confirming only 180,000 names. This feels like nothing more than an eyewash. We want a genuine solution,” said Shafiqur Rahman, a refugee in Cox’s Bazar, speaking to Reuters.
He emphasized the community’s core demands: a return to Myanmar with full rights, dignity, and citizenship. “Myanmar must take all of us back — not just a selected few,” he asserted.
Past attempts at repatriation in 2018 and 2019 failed due to widespread fears among Rohingyas about safety and statelessness. Myanmar continues to deny them citizenship under the 1982 nationality law, despite international condemnation and calls for reform.
No immediate comment has been issued by the Myanmar government regarding the outcome of the Bangkok talks. However, international observers have urged caution and stressed the need for transparency, rights assurance, and community engagement in the repatriation process.
Meanwhile, worsening conditions in Rakhine State have pushed nearly 70,000 more Rohingyas to cross into Bangladesh in the past year, fleeing hunger and renewed violence.
