Bangladesh has made it clear that it will not provide permanent shelter to the newly arrived Rohingyas, stressing that the country is already overburdened with nearly 1.2 million refugees who have lived here for about a decade.
An estimated 150,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh in recent months, fleeing intensified fighting between the Arakan Army and Myanmar’s military junta in Rakhine State.
Unlike previous influxes, Dhaka has taken a stricter stance this time. Officials say the government does not intend to extend the same facilities offered to earlier Rohingya entrants, and its primary focus is on ensuring safe and swift repatriation.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mizanur Rahman told TIMES of Bangladesh, “Bangladesh will not allow any more permanent housing for these Rohingyas. Our focus is on their safe and early repatriation. The responsibility lies with the Arakan Army, whose actions forced these people to flee. If they are sincere about normalising the situation in Rakhine, they should begin by taking these 150,000 Rohingyas back immediately.”
Limited registration process
Of the roughly 150,000 new arrivals, about 130,000 have already been registered—under a process notably different from that used in 2017.
Unlike earlier waves, whose biometric data included fingerprints and iris scans, this time only fingerprints were taken. Officials confirmed that these records are not being added to the main FDMN (Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals) database.
Authorities and aid agencies describe this system as a “limited-access registry”—intended solely to facilitate the distribution of food, medical care, and basic services, without offering any long-term recognition or rights.
“They are not part of the core Rohingya population,” one official said. “For Bangladesh, these 150,000 are temporary entrants who must be returned.”
The UN refugee agency, however, has requested land for temporary shelters.
“UNHCR is working closely with the office of the RRRC to identify areas where we can establish shelters for the newly arrived refugees. While in some cases, we did indeed find additional space, we are running into challenges in identifying enough space to shelter everyone,” said Marcel Colun, head of UNHCR’s sub-office in Cox’s Bazar.
He noted that more than 2,000 shelters are needed to accommodate the new arrivals.
Officials insist the newcomers must be treated as temporary and repatriated “as soon as possible.”
Lives in limbo
Rohingyas arriving from Mrauk-U, Buthidaung, and Maungdaw remain scattered across informal settlements, host community homes, and makeshift spaces.
Standing under a rented tin shed in Ukhiya, Din Mohammad (32), father of four, said: “We walked for days to escape the fighting. Now we are told there is no place for us. My family is split—some are staying with relatives inside the camps, while others are in a small space we are renting from locals.”
Nur Jahan, displaced from Maungdaw with her two daughters, said: “At night we have no protection. There are no women-friendly spaces, no toilets. We feel invisible and unwanted. We just want a safe place until we can return home.”
Aid groups say the new arrivals are surviving largely on limited assistance from already overstretched humanitarian agencies.
Growing pressure on host communities
With more than 1 million Rohingyas already in Cox’s Bazar, the fresh influx has intensified resource shortages, security concerns, and tensions with local communities.
Reduced global funding has further strained the humanitarian system.
Palangkhali Union Parishad Chairman M. Gafur Uddin Chowdhury warned that the unplanned and prolonged stay of the new Rohingyas could trigger local backlash.
He suggested temporary relocation to designated camp areas or another suitable site, adding: “Ultimately, the best solution is for them to return to their own country—or for measures to be taken to prevent further influx.”
Dhaka awaits action from Myanmar
Despite Bangladesh’s insistence on rapid repatriation, neither the Arakan Army nor Myanmar’s military junta has proposed any formal or informal plan to take back the newly arrived Rohingyas.
RRRC Mizanur Rahman expressed the government’s frustration: “Bangladesh has carried this burden for years. The international community must ensure accountability and guarantee that Myanmar takes its people back safely.”
