Photos: Rohingya refugees rally nine years after Myanmar exodus

What the report says

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees gathered in Bangladesh on Tuesday to mark nine years since the mass flight from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, according to Al Jazeera’s report. The rally took place in Cox’s Bazar, home to the world’s largest refugee settlement, where more than 1.2 million Rohingya live in crowded camps.

The demonstrators called for safe, voluntary return to Myanmar and urged the international community to help guarantee security in Rakhine. The United Council of Rohingya said it organised the event to remember the violence that drove people out and to draw attention to the continuing humanitarian emergency.

Most of the Rohingya arrived in Bangladesh in 2017 after Myanmar’s military launched a sweeping operation following an attack by an armed group. Rights groups and the United Nations have described that campaign as involving severe atrocities; more generally, the episode remains the focus of major international legal and political disputes. Bangladesh has attempted repatriation talks in the past, but they have not advanced because many refugees say they do not feel safe returning.

The article also notes worsening camp conditions, with aid agencies warning that funding cuts and lower food rations are increasing hardship. The anniversary highlights both the unresolved status of the Rohingya and the difficulty of finding a durable solution for return, protection and basic relief.