Nine years after the Myanmar military crackdown of August 25, 2017, more than 1.3 million Rohingya are living in 33 refugee camps in Bangladesh, mainly in Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar. Safe and dignified repatriation has not begun, despite repeated initiatives. UNHCR’s latest figure puts the number of forcibly displaced Myanmar residents in Bangladesh at 1,202,034, while the article cites a higher general estimate.

Myanmar’s junta has said it would take back 350,000 Rohingya, but refugees reject return without citizenship, security, justice and recognition of their Rohingya ethnic identity. Fighting between junta-controlled forces and the Arakan Army, which began in late 2023, has continued, with more than 200,000 additional Rohingya seeking shelter in Bangladesh from January 2024 through July 2026.

The camps face rising pressure from births, limited education and crime, while international humanitarian support is shrinking. Donor agencies have reduced rations and basic health services because of funding gaps in the 2026 joint response plan. Bangladesh says the only durable solution is safe, voluntary and dignified return to Myanmar, and calls for sustained international political and economic pressure on Myanmar.