Bangladesh has strongly rejected Myanmar\u2019s recent submissions to the International Court of Justice, saying references to the Rohingya as \u201cBengalis\u201d distort history, undermine their identity, and seek to justify atrocities committed during the 2016\u201317 violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Government of Bangladesh calls upon Myanmar and others having authority over Rakhine to demonstrate a genuine commitment to the recognition of Rohingya as an integral part of their society and State, and facilitate their return by creating conducive atmosphere in Rakhine and their reintegration with equal rights, in safety and with dignity,\u201d read a statement issued by the foreign ministry this evening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the detailed statement, Bangladesh said Myanmar\u2019s portrayal of the Rohingya as illegal migrants before the International Court of Justice is aimed at reinforcing a false narrative of internal security threats to divert attention from atrocity crimes committed against the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government said the Rohingyas are a distinct ethnic group with deep historical roots in Arakan, predating modern borders and the incorporation of the region into the Barman Kingdom in 1785. Their presence is well documented in historical records, colonial demographic accounts, and independent scholarship, it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bangladesh said the term \u201cRohingya\u201d evolved historically from the old Arakan capital Mro-Haung or Rohang, and was later adopted by the community for self-identification amid systematic marginalisation in Myanmar. Attempts to portray the Rohingya as foreigners or recent migrants are inconsistent with historical facts, the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Rohingya were an integral part of Myanmar\u2019s political and social life until the promulgation of the 1982 Citizenship Law, which excluded them from citizenship on ethno-religious grounds, Bangladesh noted. Despite sustained marginalisation, the community retained voting rights until they were fully disenfranchised during Myanmar\u2019s 2015 general elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bangladesh said Myanmar has persistently denied the Rohingya their constitutional guarantees, culminating in their mass eviction from Rakhine State during the 2016\u201317 period, rendering them stateless as part of a planned process to destroy the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement said the systematic labelling of the Rohingya as \u201cBengalis\u201d denies their inherent right to self-identify and has been used to justify exclusion, persecution and ethnic cleansing. Bangladesh noted that despite such claims, Myanmar had recognised the Rohingya as \u201clawful residents of Burma\u201d in the 1978 bilateral repatriation agreement with Bangladesh and assured their reintegration in subsequent accords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bangladesh said Myanmar\u2019s continued failure for over eight years to create a conducive environment in Rakhine for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of the Rohingya violates bilateral arrangements signed in 2017\u201318 and may indicate intent to permanently destroy the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government also recalled its protest on July 18, 2023, against Myanmar\u2019s unsubstantiated claim that half a million Bangladeshis took refuge in Rakhine during Bangladesh\u2019s 1971 Liberation War, noting the absence of any documentary or demographic evidence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bangladesh has strongly rejected Myanmar\u2019s recent submissions to the International Court of Justice, saying references to the Rohingya as \u201cBengalis\u201d distort history, undermine their identity, and seek to justify atrocities committed during the 2016\u201317 violence. \u201cThe Government of Bangladesh calls upon Myanmar and others having authority over Rakhine to demonstrate a genuine commitment to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":32066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,93],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-32065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bangladesh","category-nationwide","tag-49"],"yoast_head":"\n