Bangladesh, Sept. 18 -- Nearly nine years after the massive exodus of Rohingya from Myanmar, one fundamental question remains unanswered: when will they finally be able to return to their own land? What began as an emergency refugee crisis in 2017 has now become a prolonged humanitarian, diplomatic, economic and security challenge with no clear end in sight.

The scale of the crisis is enormous. According to the latest Government of Bangladesh and UNHCR population data, 1,200,171 Rohingya refugees were being hosted in Bangladesh as of 30 June 2026, including 1,166,352 in Cox's Bazar and others on Bhasan Char.

The figure has increased substantially over the years, not only because of the original 2017 influx but also because of continued...