Tawhidul Islam, Cox's Bazar 

“We do not want to live as refugees. We want to return to our own country, Myanmar. We call upon the international community to compel Myanmar to fulfill our demands,” said Rohingya leaders at a grand rally held on Friday afternoon at the Kutupalong Registered Rohingya Refugee Camp in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, ahead of World Refugee Day.

The rally was organized under the banner of the ‘No More Refugee Life’ program. Several other camps, including Balukhali Camp-12 in Ukhiya, also observed the same program. Braving the rain, thousands of Rohingya people — including women, children, and teenagers — participated in the gathering, carrying placards, banners, and festoons with slogans.

Law enforcement, including the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) and local police, were active on the ground to maintain order during the rally.

At the Kutupalong rally, speakers included Abdul Majed, chairman of the Kutupalong Registered Rohingya Refugee Camp, activist Yunus Arman, and women’s leader Azma Begum, among others.

During the rally, Kutupalong Rohingya activist Yunus Arman said, “Myanmar is our homeland. We want to go back to our country. We have endured 34 years of refugee life. We do not want this refugee existence anymore. We appeal to the international community to find a just and permanent solution to our crisis without delay.”

Leader of the Rohingya Committee for Peace and Repatriation (RCPR), Del Mohammad, said, “We no longer want this refugee life. We urge the international community to compel Myanmar to accept our demands and help us return to our country. We also express our gratitude to the Government of Bangladesh for sheltering a large number of Rohingyas and request our fellow refugees to abide by the laws of this land.”

Mohammad Siraj Amin, Additional DIG and Commanding Officer of the 14 Armed Police Battalion (APBn), said, “After noon, several camps in our area peacefully concluded programs marking World Refugee Day. The Rohingyas raised demands before the international community for their safe return to their homeland.”