By Arakan Journal Staff
September 21, 2026
DHAKA – Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Ministry says the International Court of Justice (ICJ) may issue its long-awaited judgment next month in The Gambia’s genocide case against Myanmar over its treatment of the Rohingya.
Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kobir told the Cabinet that The Gambia’s Justice Minister and Attorney General, Dawda A. Jallow, had shared the information at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation conference in Jeddah on August 27.
Minutes of the August 31 Cabinet meeting show that Kobir said The Gambia had indicated the ICJ might deliver its judgment in October 2026 in the case concerning the alleged genocide of the Rohingya. The Business Standard published the report on September 21.
The Gambia filed the case with the ICJ in November 2019, alleging that Myanmar’s treatment of the Rohingya breached its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
In July 2022, the ICJ rejected Myanmar’s preliminary objections, confirming its jurisdiction and the admissibility of The Gambia’s application. The case then proceeded to the merits stage.
During merits hearings at the ICJ in The Hague from January 12 to 29, 2026, the parties presented arguments on the Genocide Convention allegations.
The case concerns the mass displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine State after the military’s 2017 operations. About 750,000 fled to Bangladesh, joining earlier waves of Rohingya refugees.
The potential judgment comes as Bangladesh continues to advocate for the Rohingya’s safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return to Myanmar.
However, October should not be considered a confirmed judgment date. Bangladesh said The Gambia had indicated that the Court might issue its ruling that month, but the ICJ’s website does not currently specify a date.
A final ICJ judgment would mark a major development in international proceedings over alleged Genocide Convention violations against the Rohingya.
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