Arakan Journal

By Arakan Journal Staff – October 7, 2026

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Bangladesh asked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC to take a stronger advocacy role in efforts to bring Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar, as Dhaka continues to press for early repatriation.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir requested this on Wednesday during a meeting with Nicholas Fleury, head of the ICRC delegation in Bangladesh, at the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka. Kobir urged the organization to strengthen its advocacy for the early return of Rohingyas forcibly displaced from Myanmar.

Bangladesh hosts more than one million Rohingya refugees, most of them in camps in Cox’s Bazar. Many fled successive waves of violence in Myanmar, particularly the large-scale military crackdown in 2017.

Kobir thanked the ICRC for its humanitarian assistance to refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar. He also noted the organization’s long-standing work in Bangladesh, including humanitarian aid, disaster response, emergency support, capacity-building, and international humanitarian law (IHL).

The minister reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to the Geneva Conventions and IHL and highlighted the work of the country’s National IHL Committee. He pointed to Bangladesh’s role as co-chair of the “IHL and Peace” workstream under the Global IHL Initiative. Kobir added that Dhaka is considering participating at an appropriate level in the High-Level Conference on Humanity in War, scheduled for Jordan in December 2026.

Fleury thanked Bangladesh for its cooperation with the ICRC and said the organization stands ready to provide further support for IHL capacity-building and humanitarian activities. He also pledged to strengthen the long-standing partnership between the two sides.

The meeting comes as Bangladesh continues to seek international backing for the voluntary return of Rohingya refugees. Earlier repatriation efforts have stalled over security concerns and uncertainty about conditions in Myanmar.

However, the meeting does not indicate that the ICRC has agreed to take on a new advocacy role in repatriation. The ICRC said it would continue to support humanitarian and IHL-related efforts in Bangladesh.