In a strong call for regional cooperation, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman urged ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) members to collectively support efforts to secure a sustainable solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis. Addressing the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum Ministerial Meeting in Manila, Rahman reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to dialogue, multilateralism, and a rules-based international order. He highlighted that Bangladesh has been hosting more than 1.3 million forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar for nearly a decade.
Rahman warned that the prolonged crisis has exposed Bangladesh to an array of transborder crimes, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illicit flows of arms and weapons, posing wider regional security concerns. "Rohingyas are not stateless people by circumstance, they are stateless by design. It is a political failure, and demand a political solution," he stated.
The foreign minister called upon ARF participants to create conditions in Myanmar conducive to the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland in Rakhine State. He emphasized that sustained dialogue and diplomacy remain the most effective means of addressing emerging global and regional security concerns.
Rahman also urged all states to exercise maximum restraint in dealing with maritime disputes, uphold international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and resolve differences through peaceful dialogue. Addressing climate-related security challenges, he said Bangladesh remains committed to advancing regional cooperation in disaster preparedness and early warning systems.
In addition, Rahman highlighted the opportunities and risks associated with artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, calling for closer regional cooperation to counter cybersecurity threats, disinformation, and misuse of advanced technologies. He proposed exploring a regional technology governance framework tailored to the region’s unique geopolitical and developmental realities.
