United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative in Bangladesh Ivo Freijsen paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed at his office in the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat today.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed the current situation of the Rohingya population sheltered in Bangladesh, international funding support, and issues related to their repatriation.
The Home Minister stated that despite being one of the world’s most densely populated countries, Bangladesh has provided shelter to a large number of Rohingya refugees purely on humanitarian grounds. However, he expressed concern over the significant decline in international assistance for the Rohingyas amid the current global situation.
He noted that the United States had recently reduced its financial allocation for Rohingya assistance by 50 percent. Stressing the urgency of the matter, the minister said enhanced international support is now essential to ensure improved living conditions and meet the humanitarian needs of the refugees.
Discussing conditions inside the refugee camps, UNHCR Representative Ivo Freijsen said the Rohingyas are facing severe challenges due to the extremely high population density within limited camp areas.
In response, the Home Minister said that given Bangladesh’s socio-economic and geographical realities, expanding the camp areas would be extremely difficult. He reiterated that the most effective solution lies in ensuring the safe, dignified, and voluntary repatriation of the Rohingya people to Myanmar.
Referring to the current geopolitical environment, the minister warned that major global crises—including the Gaza conflict, the war in Ukraine, and rising tensions between Israel and Iran—should not overshadow the Rohingya crisis in the international arena.
He urged the United Nations and UNHCR to play a more proactive role in keeping the Rohingya issue at the forefront of discussions across international platforms.
During the meeting, the UNHCR representative also invited the Home Minister to attend the presentation ceremony of the Joint Response Plan (JRP) on Rohingya refugees, scheduled to be held on May 20, 2026.
At the beginning of the meeting, Ivo Freijsen congratulated Salahuddin Ahmed on assuming his new responsibilities, while the minister warmly welcomed the UNHCR representative.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, including Additional Secretary Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed, Joint Secretary Rebecca Khan, and Deputy Secretary Begum Minara Nazmin, were also present at the meeting.