DHAKA, Bangladesh

Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate and incumbent Bangladesh transitional government chief, has sought UN support for the "voluntary return" of Rohingya refugees who are currently sheltering in the country’s southeastern Cox's Bazar district.  

About 1.2 million Rohingya have been in Bangladesh since August 2017, fleeing a severe military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State. The majority of them live in overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar, with approximately 35,000 having been relocated to Bhasan Char isle since late 2020. 

Yunus sought support in a phone call with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Monday.

Grandi praised Yunus for undertaking "an incredible task" to rebuild Bangladesh, said the Bangladesh state news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, quoting the UNHCR chief.

The two leaders discussed the Rohingya issue, which includes thousands of people displaced by the ongoing conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine state, it added.

Meanwhile, Grandi said in a statement on X that he spoke with Yunus about the need for solutions for the Rohingya crisis and how to help young refugees have better futures. “We will discuss further at UNGA and in Dhaka,” he added.

Grandi is expected to visit Bangladesh in October.

“I assured Yunus of UNHCR’s full support,” he added.