A panel of diplomats, academics, and policy experts has called for stronger regional initiatives and pragmatic planning to resolve the protracted Rohingya refugee crisis, stressing that Bangladesh must treat the issue as a prime national priority.

Speaking at the concluding session of the two-day (August 29-30) Bengal Delta Conference 2025, organized by the Dacca Institute of Research and Analytics (DAIRA) at a city hotel on Saturday, the experts underscored that while repatriation remains the ultimate goal, immediate attention must be given to education, skills, nutrition, and livelihoods for the displaced population until their safe return to Myanmar is possible.

The session, titled “Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Regional Security Risks, Repatriation Pathways, and Livelihood Challenges”, brought together Bangladeshi diplomat and former ambassador Tariq Ahmed Karim, Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Niaz Ahmed Khan, academician Dr. Faheem Hussain, and BNP leader Shama Obaid, Michael Kugelman is the Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center.

Providing a historical perspective, Ambassador Tariq Karim traced the crisis back to post-partition identity politics and British colonial social engineering. He sharply criticised past diplomatic engagements with Myanmar, describing them as “naive and ineffective.”

Representing the opposition, BNP leader Shama Obaid stressed that repatriation cannot happen without ensuring security, citizenship, and justice for the Rohingya in Myanmar. She cautioned against politicizing the crisis for domestic gain and urged immediate, practical interventions within the camps. “This is not about political credit. It is about education, nutrition, and livelihood for nearly one million people trapped in limbo,” she said.

Dhaka University VC Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan outlined three potential pathways repatriation, silent local integration, and limited resettlement. He warned of severe funding shortages, noting that the camps will require $42 million in 2025, while only one-third of that amount has been pledged so far. “Livelihood programme today are training for survival, not for the future. Without sustained support, tensions between refugees and host communities will only rise,” he cautioned.

Michael Kugelman Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center stated the government should prioritize the situation and establish the world's highest-level forum.

All speakers emphasized that Rohingya voices must be included in any dialogue on their future. They agreed that only coordinated regional diplomacy, backed by long-term pragmatic planning within Bangladesh, can create viable solutions.

The conference concluded with a unanimous call for Dhaka to elevate the Rohingya issue as a national security and humanitarian priority, while pushing regional and global actors to share responsibility for ending one of the world’s most protracted refugee crises.

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