Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh demand to be sent back to their home country Myanmar

In Bangladesh, thousands of Rohingya refugees settled in camps in Ukhia and Teknaf Upazila of Cox’s Bazar area brought out a demonstration on today demanding to be sent back to their home country Myanmar. They chanted the slogan ‘Back to Home’ asking the global community to ensure their safe return to Myanmar. They also demanded that they should be recognised by their ethnic name Rohingya, reports the news agency UNB.

Some of the organisers of the demonstration told the local media that they have organised the demonstration on the eve of the ‘World Refugee Day’ on June 20 to inform the world that the Rohingyas are citizens of Myanmar.

The gathering also put forward a seven-point charter of demands which included immediate repatriation to Myanmar, abolition of the 1982 citizenship act of Myanmar, ensuring rights, safety and security of Rohingyas and ending the persecution of Rohingyas in Myanmar.

No particular organisation claimed to be behind the demonstration that took place today. Earlier, in 2019 a large demonstration had taken place under the leadership of Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah who was later shot dead in September 2021.

More than 7.30 lakh Rohingya people fled Myanmar to Bangladesh after the military crackdown started in the Rakhine state in 2017. Currently, over a million Rohingya people live in refugee camps in Bangladesh waiting for repatriation to their homeland in the Rakhine province of Myanmar.