Bangladesh Slams Myanmar's 'Bengali' Label for Rohingya at ICJ

Bangladesh has issued a fierce protest against Myanmar’s recent statements at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where the latter referred to the Rohingya people as "Bengali" immigrants.

In a formal statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday (January 23), Dhaka dismissed Myanmar’s narrative as a "malicious tactic" designed to evade responsibility for genocide by erasing the ethnic identity of the Rohingya.

Systematic Identity Denial
The Ministry asserted that Myanmar is deliberately stripping the Rohingya of their indigenous identity to justify the brutal "clearance operations" of 2016-17 as mere counter-terrorism efforts.

Bangladesh countered this with historical facts:

• Ancient Roots: Rohingya are a distinct ethnic group from Arakan (Rakhine State), residing there long before the Burmese conquest in 1785.
• Political Inclusion: Until the discriminatory 1982 Citizenship Act, Rohingya were integral to Myanmar’s government and society, holding voting rights as recently as 2015.
• Planned Statelessness: The deprivation of their rights was a calculated move to render the population stateless and facilitate their expulsion.

"Baseless" Claims of Migration
Dhaka categorically rejected Myanmar’s claim that 500,000 people from Bangladesh fled to Rakhine during the 1971 Liberation War. The Ministry labeled this claim "illogical" and "unfounded," noting:

• Lack of Evidence: Myanmar has failed to provide any documentary proof of such a mass migration.
• Economic Reality: It is highly improbable that people fleeing war would seek permanent refuge in an economically backward region like Rakhine.
• Scale: An influx representing 30% of the then-Rakhine population would have caused a global humanitarian and socio-economic crisis that never occurred.

"Calling them 'Bengali' is not just a naming dispute; it is a tool used to strip them of their human rights and citizenship." — Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh

A Call for Accountability and Repatriation
The statement highlighted that in the last eight years, Myanmar has taken no meaningful steps to create a safe environment for return.

Instead of honoring bilateral agreements, Myanmar has engaged in "stalling tactics" that reflect a continued desire for ethnic cleansing.

Bangladesh urged both the Myanmar authorities and the current controllers of Rakhine State to:

• Recognize the Rohingya as an inseparable part of their society.
• Ensure a sustainable, safe, and dignified repatriation process.