Thousands of Rohingya refugees commemorate 7th 'Genocide Day' in Bangladesh

Rohingya refugees stranded in camps in southern Bangladesh observed the seventh "Rohingya Genocide Day" on Sunday.

The commemoration took place as new refugees, fleeing escalating violence in Myanmar, continued to arrive at the border.

Seven years ago, the majority of the Rohingya community was forced to flee Myanmar’s Rakhine state, an act recognised as genocide by the UN and other international organisations.

According to Foreign Ministry data, Bangladesh currently hosts over 1.3 million Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar and Bhasan Char isle, with no repatriations taking place despite previous attempts to initiate the process.

Despite the heavy rain, at least 10,000 Rohingya refugees gathered in the morning in the field of Camp-4 in Ukhia, Cox's Bazar district, to commemorate the seventh "Rohingya Genocide Day" amid slogans such as "We want to go back to our homeland" and "Ensure rights for the Rohingya."

Mohammad Alam, a Rohingya community leader in Bangladesh, addressed the crowd before leading morning Muslim prayers.

Read also: UN calls for ending Myanmar violence on Rohingya anniversary

He called for “proper rights” and “safe repatriation,” emphasising the need for living a dignified life with access to education and job opportunities. The thousands in attendance resonated with his demands.

Among those present was Mohammad Nur, 25, who arrived in the Bangladesh camp in late Aug. 2017. He lost two brothers while crossing the border. "When I arrived here, I was 18 years old and hoping for a better future. But now I find myself idle and without any work," Nur told Anadolu.

“We want jobs. We want to live with dignity here because we believe safe repatriation is impossible under the current conditions in Myanmar,” he said.

Recent violence in Rakhine state, involving clashes between the Arakan Army and Myanmar armed forces, has forced at least 2,000 new refugees to cross into Bangladesh, Anadolu discovered during a visit to the camps.

"We are aware of the new arrivals," Bangladesh's Refugee, Relief, and Repatriation Commissioner Mizanur Rahman told Anadolu. "We do not yet know the exact number that has entered."

Rahman assured that the new interim government will continue to provide humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees. "We remain prepared for their safe and voluntary repatriation," said the official.