The tenure of Bangladesh’s interim government has coincided with a renewed increase in Rohingya arrivals, despite intensified diplomatic efforts aimed at securing their repatriation to Myanmar.
Over the past year, the interim administration has raised the Rohingya crisis at high-level meetings of the United Nations and other international forums. Myanmar’s military authorities pledged to repatriate 180,000 forcibly displaced Rohingya. However, no tangible progress has followed the announcement. Instead, Bangladesh has witnessed a significant new influx.
According to data from the UNHCR and Bangladesh’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), the total number of registered Rohingya refugees currently stands at approximately 1.17 million. Between December 2024 and November 2025, some 139,378 Rohingya entered Bangladesh. Of that figure, 136,518 arrived during the first eleven months of 2025 alone.
Sources attribute the renewed influx to escalating clashes between Myanmar’s military junta and the Arakan Army in Rakhine State. The conflict has intensified insecurity in border areas, particularly in Maungdaw, forcing Rohingya civilians to flee.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman said the influx resumed after a ceasefire between the Arakan Army and government forces collapsed in November 2023. “Rohingya are being persecuted and are returning to Bangladesh from Maungdaw every day,” he said, adding that while Bangladesh continues diplomatic efforts, “the solution lies with Myanmar. We have not received the necessary cooperation.”
Interim government head Muhammad Yunus assumed office following a mass student-led uprising in August 2024. The following month, he presented a three-point proposal to senior UN officials, calling for a political solution to the crisis. However, none of the proposals have yet materialized.
In March 2025, António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, visited Bangladesh and joined a solidarity iftar with approximately 100,000 Rohingya refugees alongside Dr Yunus. During the visit, Dr Yunus pledged to work closely with the UN to ensure Rohingya could celebrate a future Eid in their homeland in Rakhine State. That objective remains unmet.
Subsequently, at an international forum titled “Stakeholders’ Dialogue: Takeaway to the High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Situation,” the interim government introduced a seven-point action plan. The framework emphasized drafting a realistic roadmap for safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation, alongside sustained international donor support.
However, funding constraints are compounding the crisis. The United States remains the principal donor supporting food assistance, education and vocational training for Rohingya refugees. By October 2025, US funding had dropped to less than half of the previous year’s levels, leading to the closure of numerous schools within the camps.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Financial Tracking Service, the 2025 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya crisis required $934.5 million. As of early December, only $464.4 million — 49.7 percent of the target — had been secured, leaving a shortfall of approximately $470 million.
Jahangir Alam, Assistant Director of COAST Foundation, told Bonik Barta that public optimism has faded. “By 2021–22, many people here believed a solution was unlikely. When Dr Muhammad Yunus became active on the issue and the UN Secretary-General visited, people regained hope. But no visible progress followed. Now, with more than 100,000 Rohingya entering within a year, disappointment has deepened.”
With continued violence across the border and diminishing international funding, Bangladesh faces mounting humanitarian, economic and security pressures — while durable repatriation remains elusive.
