Young Rohingya Growing Angry Amid Stalled Repatriation, Warns Bangladesh Interim Leader

Arakan Now | 4 June 2025

Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has warned that many young Rohingya living in refugee camps are becoming frustrated and angry due to a lack of progress in returning home to Myanmar.

“It is a sad situation. Thousands of young people are growing up in camps with no hope. They are becoming frustrated and angry,” said Yunus during a meeting in Dhaka with Miyazaki Katsura, Executive Senior Vice President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Since August 2017, Bangladesh has been hosting over 1.3 million Rohingya Muslims who fled violence and a military crackdown in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Although there have been many talks and international efforts, not a single large-scale repatriation has happened.

A statement from Yunus’ office said he raised the refugee issue during his meeting with the Japanese official. He also asked for stronger cooperation from Japan in different areas, such as:

-Foreign investment

-Rohingya humanitarian aid

-Education and sports for youth

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency in Bangladesh reported on Thursday that heavy monsoon rains continue to hit Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar, where most refugees live.

The UN said over 2,930 people have been affected by the rains in the last two weeks, and more than 435 shelters have been damaged or partially destroyed.

Photo : Anadolu Agency