Rohingya in Bangladesh mark nine years since 2017 crackdown with renewed call to return home

Thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh marked the ninth anniversary of the 2017 Myanmar military crackdown by renewing calls for safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation.

Refugees marched through camps in Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday, carrying banners and chanting, “We want to go home.” A rally organized by the United Council of Rohingya (UCR) drew hundreds in Ukhiya, where participants demanded security, citizenship, freedom of movement, and livelihoods before returning to Myanmar.

“We have spent nine years here. This is not our country. We want to return to our homeland,” Rohingya rights activist Mohammad Rafiq said.

Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman said no Rohingya had been repatriated from Bangladesh in nine years and more had entered instead. He said the government remained hopeful and was working on a long-term national strategy.