Beyond Safe Return: What All Parties Must Consider in Addressing Bangladesh’s Refugee Crisis

By Oo Kyaw Thar ၊ Opinion ၊ August 6, 2026

Photo - ICG

For nearly a decade, the Bangladesh-Myanmar refugee crisis has demonstrated a difficult reality: displacement cannot be resolved simply by moving people across borders. A sustainable solution requires addressing the political, security, and social conditions that forced communities to flee in the first place.

Bangladesh has carried the enormous responsibility of hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees from Myanmar while repeatedly calling on the international community to support a solution based on the principle of “safe, voluntary, and dignified return.” The country’s continued humanitarian commitment has made the refugee crisis not only a national concern but also a significant regional challenge for Southeast Asia.

Recent efforts by the Government of Bangladesh to establish a national-level mechanism to address the refugee issue, alongside its engagement with major international actors including China, reflect continued efforts to seek a sustainable resolution. These initiatives demonstrate the growing recognition that the crisis requires broader diplomatic engagement and a long-term strategy.

However, the fundamental challenge is that refugee return alone cannot resolve the deeper conditions that produced displacement. Even if return takes place safely and voluntarily, it does not automatically guarantee peace, stability, or coexistence. The underlying drivers of displacement including insecurity, political instability, social fragmentation, underdevelopment, and the absence of accountability must also be addressed.

Therefore, all stakeholders must broaden their approach beyond the narrow framework of repatriation. A sustainable solution requires consideration of four interconnected dimensions: security, social cohesion, inclusive development, and accountability.

Security as the Foundation of Sustainable Return

The first and most important consideration for all parties is security.

A successful refugee return process depends on whether displaced populations can return to an environment where they feel protected, secure, and able to rebuild their lives. Without a stable security environment, repatriation risks becoming a temporary political arrangement rather than a durable solution.

Arakan remains one of Myanmar’s most fragile conflict zones. Years of armed conflict and political instability have created uncertainty for all communities living in the region.

Continued military operations by the Myanmar military, including airstrikes affecting civilian populations, have further complicated efforts to establish conditions necessary for safe and sustainable return.

At the same time, insecurity along the Bangladesh-Arakan border has created additional challenges. Armed activities by some Muslim militant groups operating along the border, cross-border violence, and criminal networks have contributed to instability that affects not only current communities but also any refugees who may eventually return.

The central question, therefore, is not simply whether refugees can physically cross the border and return. The more important question is whether they can return to an environment where they can live safely, rebuild their livelihoods, and regain confidence in their future.

For Bangladesh, Arakan and international stakeholders, border security must become a shared priority. Continued instability along the border will undermine humanitarian efforts and risk creating new cycles of displacement.

The changing political reality in Arakan also requires practical consideration of actors with influence on the ground. The Arakan Army’s expanding territorial control and administrative role in significant parts of the state means that any realistic discussion of security arrangements, humanitarian access, and regional stability must consider actors that shape conditions on the ground.

Ignoring political and security realities risks producing solutions that remain disconnected from the environment where return would actually take place.

Social Cohesion as the Path to Peaceful Coexistence

Beyond security concerns, the refugee crisis is fundamentally a challenge of rebuilding trust between communities that have experienced years of violence, displacement, and competing historical narratives.

Social cohesion cannot be achieved through political agreements alone. It requires rebuilding trust, reducing fear, and creating conditions where different communities can coexist with dignity and mutual recognition.

The future stability of Arakan will depend largely on whether emerging governance arrangements can effectively manage relations among diverse ethnic and religious communities. Addressing longstanding concerns over citizenship, equal access to services, representation, and community protection will be essential to building trust and shaping the region’s long-term stability.

The international community should therefore encourage constructive engagement among relevant stakeholders rather than relying solely on political isolation or external pressure. Sustainable peace requires dialogue, confidence-building measures, and locally grounded reconciliation initiatives.

Bangladesh also has an important role beyond humanitarian assistance. As a neighboring country directly affected by the crisis, Bangladesh can contribute to trust-building efforts and support initiatives that encourage peaceful coexistence between returnees and existing communities.

Without genuine social cohesion, repatriation risks becoming merely a physical movement of people rather than a pathway toward lasting peace.

Inclusive Development for Long-Term Stability

Another critical consideration is development.

Arakan has historically been among Myanmar’s least developed regions, facing limited infrastructure, weak economic opportunities, inadequate public services, and poverty. These challenges have affected all communities living in the region and have contributed to long-term instability.

A sustainable solution must therefore address broader development challenges rather than focusing exclusively on humanitarian assistance for returning refugees.

Humanitarian assistance remains necessary during periods of crisis, but prolonged dependency cannot provide a sustainable future. Returnees will require opportunities to rebuild their lives through access to livelihoods, education, healthcare, vocational training, and local economic opportunities.

At the same time, development efforts must be inclusive. Sustainable peace cannot be built by improving conditions for one community while neglecting others. Long-term stability requires shared prosperity among Rakhine communities, Muslim communities, and other ethnic groups living in Arakan.

Economic inequality and marginalization have contributed to instability for decades. International assistance should gradually transition from emergency relief toward long-term development strategies that strengthen local capacity, resilience, and self-reliance.

Development should not only support return but also create the conditions that prevent future displacement.

Accountability as a Requirement for Lasting Peace

While future-oriented solutions are necessary, accountability for the origins of the crisis cannot be ignored.

The Myanmar military’s 2017 operations against Muslim communities resulted in mass displacement and widespread allegations of serious human rights violations. These events remain central to understanding the causes and consequences of the refugee crisis.

Any meaningful peace process must recognize the importance of justice and accountability. A society cannot achieve genuine reconciliation when victims’ experiences remain unaddressed, and perpetrators face no consequences.

Accountability is not only about punishment. It is also about preventing future violations, restoring trust among affected communities, and establishing the principle that violence against civilians cannot become an accepted instrument of political competition.

However, accountability must be based on credible evidence and applied consistently. Sustainable justice requires impartial mechanisms capable of addressing violations committed by all actors responsible for harming civilians.

Justice should serve as a foundation for reconciliation rather than becoming another source of political division.

Moving Beyond Return Toward Sustainable Peace

The Bangladesh refugee crisis cannot be resolved simply by facilitating the “safe return” of refugees. Return remains an essential component of any solution, but it represents only one part of a much broader political, security, and social challenge.

All stakeholders including Bangladesh, Arakan, and the international community must consider the conditions necessary for sustainable peace.

The future of Arakan will not be determined solely by whether refugees cross a border and return home. It will depend on whether all communities can live with security, dignity, opportunity, and mutual recognition.

Moving beyond “safe return” does not mean rejecting repatriation. Instead, it means recognizing that meaningful return requires a broader foundation: a secure environment, social trust, inclusive development, and accountability.

Only by addressing these deeper challenges can the region move beyond managing displacement and begin building the foundation for a stable, peaceful, and prosperous future for all communities in Arakan.