ASEAN Beat | Society | Southeast Asia

Homeward Bound: Rohingya Refugees Trek Back From Bangladesh to Myanmar’s Rakhine State

Families are fleeing overcrowding and intimidation at refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Abdur Rahman (standing right) with members of his family at Maungdaw in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

Since 2017, over 1 million Rohingya refugees fled repression in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in waves to shelter at refugee camps and other places in Bangladesh. Some are now returning to Myanmar to villages from which they were displaced years ago.

Between February 10 and 15, The Diplomat interviewed members of two families at Maungdaw in Myanmar’s Rakhine State who undertook the perilous journey from Bangladesh to return home.

Get to the bottom of the story

Subscribe today and join thousands of diplomats, analysts, policy professionals and business readers who rely on The Diplomat for expert Asia-Pacific coverage.

Get unlimited access to in-depth analysis you won't find anywhere else, from South China Sea tensions to ASEAN diplomacy to India-Pakistan relations. More than 5,000 articles a year.

Unlimited articles and expert analysis

Weekly newsletter with exclusive insights

16-year archive of diplomatic coverage

Ad-free reading on all devices

Support independent journalism

Already have an account? Log in.

Since 2017, over 1 million Rohingya refugees fled repression in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in waves to shelter at refugee camps and other places in Bangladesh. Some are now returning to Myanmar to villages from which they were displaced years ago.

Between February 10 and 15, The Diplomat interviewed members of two families at Maungdaw in Myanmar’s Rakhine State who undertook the perilous journey from Bangladesh to return home.

Rakhine State witnessed severe disturbances from the middle of 2024 when the Arakan Army (AA) intensified its campaign to wrest control over the area from........

© The Diplomat