February 13, 2026
Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) warmly congratulates the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on its February 2026 election victory and salutes the resilient spirit of the Bangladeshi people. We thank Bangladesh for its decades of sanctuary to the Rohingya, currently hosting around 1.4 million refugees, which demonstrates profound humanitarian solidarity. BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has eloquently reaffirmed this support, noting that the Rohingya “are very welcome to stay here” “as long as it is not safe” to return. He has called on the international community to keep pressure on Myanmar, urging that repatriation be “safe, dignified, and voluntary”. These commitments give hope and security to families in Cox’s Bazar camps.
Bangladeshi leaders of the BNP have a history of securing Rohingya returns through diplomacy. Under President Ziaur Rahman in 1978, Bangladesh negotiated a bilateral repatriation agreement with Myanmar, paving the way for thousands of Rohingya to return home. Similarly, during Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s first term, about 236,599 Rohingya were repatriated under a 1992 agreement. ARNO recalls these precedents as proof that firm leadership and international cooperation can achieve the safe return of refugees.
We note with deep concern that violence continues in Northern Rakhine State. Human Rights Watch reports that the ethnic Arakan Army has “imposed severe restrictions and committed grave abuses” against the Rohingya, carrying out oppression “similar to those long imposed by the Myanmar military”. Both the Arakan Army and Myanmar security forces have engaged in atrocities, including extrajudicial killings, widespread arson, forced labour, and child recruitment. These ongoing crimes are part of a pattern of systematic erasure – underscore that conditions in Rakhine are not safe for return.
ARNO reiterates that any repatriation must be safe, voluntary and dignified, with full accountability. We call on the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and regional powers to intensify diplomatic pressure and enforce international law. Bangladesh’s new democratic government and our Rohingya community stand ready to cooperate on documentation, confidence-building, and reconstruction efforts. We trust Bangladesh will continue its proud tradition of leadership on Rohingya rights and on holding perpetrators to account.
For more information, please contact:
Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO)
Email: arno@rohingya.org | info@rohingya.org