Bangladesh calls for 'all stakeholders' conference' to solve Rohingya crisis

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - Bangladesh has called for an "all stakeholders' conference" to address the ongoing Rohingya crisis, as the country "reached its limits" in hosting the world's most persecuted community.

"Bangladesh has reached her limits," Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser to the transitional government, said at a side event of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

An eminent economist, Yunus proposed an "all stakeholders' conference" to review the crisis and suggest innovative solutions.

Expressing concern over deteriorating security in the border region, Yunus called on international actors, including the UN Security Council and Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to acknowledge these challenges in their approach.

"Delayed repatriation has resulted in loss of human capital, both for Rohingyas and Myanmar," he warned, stressing that the challenges faced by Myanmar could spill over to neighboring countries.

Noting not a single Rohingya has been able to return to Myanmar in the past seven years due to unaddressed root causes, he said repatriation remains the only sustainable solution to the crisis.

He urged the international community to support justice and accountability mechanisms for crimes committed against the Rohingya.

Around 1.2 million Rohingya have been living in Bangladesh since August 2017, fleeing a severe military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

In recent weeks, hundreds of new Rohingya refugees arrived in the South Asian country.