Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has dismissed as “completely false” the circulating claims that Bangladesh has granted Myanmar a humanitarian corridor. Addressing the nation on Friday evening, he provided detailed clarifications on the matter.
“The UN Secretary-General during his March visit to Dhaka merely proposed a relief channel to address the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State, suggesting it might facilitate Rohingya repatriation. This remains only a proposal,” stated the chief adviser. “The narrative about Bangladesh granting a corridor is pure fabrication – a classic case of rumor-mongering. These baseless stories are manufactured by those aiming to create unrest by misleading our people. Remain vigilant against such disinformation.”
Yunus highlighted Bangladesh’s current burden of hosting 1.2 million Rohingya, including 100,000 new arrivals between 2023-September 2024 amid Rakhine’s conflict. “We’ve revitalised this nearly forgotten international issue,” he noted, recalling his UN General Assembly proposal last year for an international conference, now scheduled for September in New York with unanimous member-state support.
Significant progress includes Myanmar’s April announcement in Bangkok identifying 180,000 Rohingya eligible for repatriation. “We’re engaging both Myanmar’s government and insurgent groups while securing international support during all diplomatic visits,” Yunus added, reaffirming UN chief Guterres’ March declaration that repatriation remains the sole solution.