About 1.2 million Rohingya remain in crowded Cox’s Bazar camps and Bhasan Char after the 2017 exodus; 2018–19 return efforts and later pilots failed because refugees demanded citizenship, safety, and movement rights Myanmar has not delivered.

The author says Dhaka should combine UN, ASEAN, OIC, and great-power pressure—especially keeping China and India engaged—with legally binding return guarantees, accountability tracks, and contact with both the junta and the Arakan Army.

UN agencies still judge Rakhine too unsafe for large-scale return amid civil war; a prolonged stay, the piece warns, strains Bangladesh’s budget, environment, and security.

The woes of Rohingya refugees are lingering due to the repatriation process still being in the dark. Nothing has improved their situation that could change their fortune. Nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees continue to endure inhumane living conditions in Bangladesh, primarily in the overcrowded camps of Ukhia and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar. Cramped shelters, inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene, and limited access to basic services have turned daily life into a prolonged humanitarian struggle for last ten years.

Yet despite this immense burden on both the refugees and Bangladesh, Myanmar has shown little genuine willingness to create the conditions necessary for their safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation. The continued absence of meaningful action from Myanmar has left the repatriation process stalled, making one of the world’s largest refugee crises appear trapped in an endless cycle of uncertainty.

As of 2026, Bangladesh is hosting approximately 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, making it the world’s largest........

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