Bangladesh continues to host more than 1.1 million Rohingya refugees across 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char, making it one of the world’s largest and most protracted displacement crises.
Although the population grows due to high birth rates and occasional new arrivals, the number of refugees on Bhasan Char has recently fallen to around 30,000—down from over 36,000 in January 2025—amid operational challenges and political uncertainty ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Bangladesh is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and has no dedicated national legal framework for refugees or asylum seekers. The Government regards Rohingya presence as temporary and continues to prioritise voluntary repatriation to Myanmar. As a result, most refugees remain fully dependent on aid, with limited mobility and few opportunities for formal employment. Small-scale income avenues—such as volunteer roles, cash-for-work, and informal market activities—remain insufficient to reduce aid dependency in a crisis now entering its ninth year.
After sustained advocacy by humanitarian and donor partners, the Government has begun to acknowledge the protracted nature of the crisis and is permitting medium-term initiatives to help refugees build productive lives in the camps while preparing them for eventual voluntary and sustainable return. One of the most significant developments is the Government’s openness to piloting mobile banking services for refugees.
In August 2025, a multi-stakeholder consultation explored a “sandbox approach” to testing mobile money using Government-issued SIM cards for refugees engaged in community work. By November, the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and UNHCR had begun distributing 10,000 SIM cards, while the Mobile Money Working Group advanced policy discussions to resolve regulatory barriers.
Humanitarian assistance remains essential, covering food, health, shelter, WASH, and protection needs, while development financing has supported longer-term investments in infrastructure, education, community development, and environmental conservation. Since 2017, about USD 4.4 billion in humanitarian and development funds have benefitted both refugees and host communities, stimulating local markets and service sectors.
Bangladesh’s refugee response continues to draw substantial international engagement. The World Bank has provided around USD 1.07 billion through IDA financing windows for host and refugee support, including USD 700 million disbursed in May 2024. Bangladesh remains eligible for IDA-21, with a notional allocation of USD 230 million. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has signalled private-sector interest following joint missions to Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, although concrete investments remain limited.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has contributed more than USD 174 million to projects improving infrastructure and services, with a new 2025 project delivering USD 58.6 million in grants for refugees and USD 28.1 million in loans for host communities. Under ADF-14, a further USD 200 million is anticipated for 2026. The Islamic Development Bank, the UK’s FCDO, Japan’s JICA, and Global Affairs Canada also continue to support humanitarian and resilience-building programmes.
UNHCR, together with the Livelihood and Skills Development Sector, has intensified advocacy through initiatives such as the non-paper Reinforcing Resilience in Cox’s Bazar, backed by Australia, Canada, the EU, and the UK. Efforts to engage the private sector have shown promise, including the Fast Retailing project supporting refugee women and pilot production initiatives such as a soap manufacturing centre. However, government approval processes remain a key constraint.
A strengthened analytical agenda has also emerged. Bangladesh has approved the inclusion of refugees in the national Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), marking a landmark step towards harmonised national-level data. Joint studies by the World Bank and UNHCR—including Two Settlements, Two Diverging Paths and analyses of the fiscal costs of hosting refugees—are informing policy discussions. UNHCR has also collaborated with global academic institutions to deepen research and evidence for future planning.
Coordination remains extensive, led by the Strategic Executive Group at national level and the Inter-Sector Coordination Group in Cox’s Bazar. Yet significant gaps persist—particularly in education, health, food security, and livelihood opportunities—highlighting systemic vulnerabilities in the Rohingya response.
Strengthening the Humanitarian–Development–Peace nexus, expanding access to education and livelihoods, integrating policy reforms, and ensuring long-term sustainability of assistance are now seen as critical priorities. Together, these measures aim to build a more resilient response that supports both refugees and host communities while preparing Rohingya refugees for eventual voluntary and dignified return to Myanmar when conditions allow.