Dr Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser, has urged the international community to pay close attention to the Rohingya situation, warning that if it is not addressed, the entire region, not only Bangladesh, will suffer.

"We must pay attention," he remarked during a high-level discussion on the Rohingya crisis conducted on the fringes of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday afternoon (New York time).

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan, IOM Director General Amy Pope, Principal Coordinator on SDGs Affairs Lamiya Morshed, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, and CA's Special Assistant Mahfuz Alam were among those who spoke at the event.

Yunus proposed to the international community to revisit its approach to the Rohingya crisis.

He said the UN secretary general may convene an all-stakeholders conference on the Rohingya crisis as soon as possible.

The conference should review the overall situation of the crisis and suggest innovative and forward-looking way outs, he said.

Secondly, Yunus said, the Joint Response Plan, managed by the UN System and Bangladesh, needs to be energized.

The resource-raising mechanism needs a further political push in view of the sliding funding situation, he said.

In his third proposal, Yunus said the international community should seriously support the justice and accountability mechanism to address genocidal crimes committed against the Rohingya community.

The chief adviser added that redressing the injustice that the military junta in Myanmar has perpetrated is the key to long-term peace and security.

"Honoured to take part in the discussion on Rohingya refugees led by the chief adviser of Bangladesh. This is a yearly UNGA event, but Dr Yunus’s presence and vision meant that it was not business as usual," said UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi.

He said they must strive to end the Rohingya people’s discrimination, statelessness and exile.

"It was a very successful meeting. Everyone appreciated Bangladesh’s efforts and reiterated their continuous support," Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam told reporters on Tuesday night.

Speaking at the event, IOM chief Amy Pope said the Rohingya people must not be forgotten.

"We must do more and continue to provide much needed assistance and long-term solutions," she said.

At the UNGA, IOM DG said they reaffirm their commitment to doing everything possible to achieve this goal.

As the UNGA's high-level general debate took place in New York, some of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh sent a message for world leaders gathered here, "Do not let us down."

Rohingya refugees cannot be forgotten, they said in a video message.

Aid for Rohingyas

While participating in the high-level UNGA side event on the Rohingya crisis, US Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya announced nearly $199 million in new assistance for Rohingya refugees and communities hosting them in Bangladesh and the region.

This funding includes nearly $70 million through the US Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) and over $129 million from USAID, $78 million of which comes from the Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation, which will help USAID to purchase, ship and distribute food from American farmers to Rohingya refugees and host community members in Bangladesh.

This US assistance will save lives and help protect, shelter, and feed those forced to flee violence and persecution.

Additionally, it will be used to support disaster preparedness and protection for refugees and host communities, bolster access to education and skills training, and prepare refugees for their potential return home when conditions allow.

The US government has provided more than $2.5 billion for the regional Rohingya response since August 2017, including more than $2.1 billion in Bangladesh, of which nearly $1.3 billion was contributed through PRM.

The United States says it remains committed to delivering assistance to crisis-affected communities in Bangladesh and the region and calls on other donors to continue their support.

In August 2017, armed attacks, massive-scale violence and serious human rights violations forced thousands of Rohingya to flee their homes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

Many walked for days through jungles and undertook dangerous sea journeys across the Bay of Bengal to reach safety in Bangladesh.

Now, nearly 1 million people have found safety in Bangladesh with a majority living in the Cox’s Bazar region - home to the world’s largest refugee camp.

The United Nations has described the Rohingya as “the most persecuted minority in the world.”