Rohingya clerics rally for return to Rakhine

Thousands of Rohingya clerics gathered in a massive rally at Ukhiya Camp in Cox's Bazar, calling for unity and urgent action to ensure their safe and dignified repatriation to Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

The rally took place on Wednesday (December 25) in the field adjacent to Block E/6 of Camp-1 West in Ukhiya, beginning at around 10:00am and concluding by noon.

Rohingya leader Dil Mohammad addressed the gathering, emphasizing their right to return to their homeland. "The Rohingya nation once had its own address, houses, properties, and identity. For centuries, the Myanmar junta government deprived us of civil rights, subjected us to repression, burned our homes, and expelled us from Rakhine in 2017," he said.

"We have been living in makeshift shacks in Bangladeshi camps since then. It is impossible to live in another country indefinitely, leaving behind our ancestral homeland. This rally is a step toward uniting the Rohingya community to strategize our return to Rakhine, Myanmar," he added.

Another Rohingya leader, Maulvi Rahmat Karim, voiced a stronger stance, declaring, "We, the Rohingya people, are prepared to shed our blood for the independence of our homeland, Myanmar. If necessary, we will go to Arakan and liberate it with our sacrifices rather than remain confined to these camps."

The rally was confirmed by Md. Siraj Amin, Commander of the Ukhiya-14 Armed Police Battalion (Additional DIG). He said that the event, organised by Rohingya muftis and clerics, concluded peacefully around noon without any untoward incidents.

The gathering underscores the growing frustrations and determination among the Rohingya community to reclaim their rights and return to their homeland in Rakhine, despite the challenges and uncertainties surrounding the repatriation process.