Photos: Rohingya refugees rally nine years after Myanmar exodus

By AFP, AP and EPA. Published On 25 Aug 202625 Aug 2026.

Key points

• The United Council of Rohingya (UCR) refugee group remarked it organised the rally to "remember the atrocities committed" and highlight the "ongoing humanitarian crisis".
• The demonstrators pressed the international community on Tuesday to guarantee security in Rakhine as they marked what they called the "ninth anniversary of Rohingya Genocide Day".
• Dhaka notes it will not force anyone to go back.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's overcrowded camps have protested against dire conditions as they mark nine years since a military crackdown drove them out of neighbouring Myanmar.

Meanwhile, the more than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees living in regarding 30 camps forming the world's largest refugee settlement in Cox's Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh are additionally demanding safe return to their homes in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

In practice, the demonstrators pressed the international community on Tuesday to guarantee security in Rakhine as they marked what they called the "ninth anniversary of Rohingya Genocide Day".

For context, the United Council of Rohingya (UCR) refugee group remarked it organised the rally to "remember the atrocities committed" and highlight the "ongoing humanitarian crisis".

Most of the refugees crossed the border in a mass exodus in 2017 after Buddhist-majority Myanmar introduced a military crackdown in Rakhine after an attack by an armed group.

Notably, the Bangladeshi administration has previously tried to commence repatriation at least twice, but the efforts stalled as none of the refugees was willing to return, citing security reservations in Myanmar. Dhaka notes it will not force anyone to go back.

This month, Myanmar's military administration stated more than 300, 000 individuals living in camps in Bangladesh are former residents of Rakhine state and it will accept their return once security conditions improve.

But Bangladesh has disputed Myanmar's figures and its continued refusal to employ the term "Rohingya", noting that the military government's labelling of them as "Bengali" is seen as an attempt to deny their identity and right to return to Rakhine.

For now, photos: Rohingya refugees rally nine years after Myanmar exodus remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.