Staff Reporter: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday ahead of a high-level international conference on the Rohingya crisis at the United Nations headquarters here.

The two leaders held in-depth discussions on key aspects of the crisis, including the worsening humanitarian conditions in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, recent cuts in international aid affecting over one million Rohingyas in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, and ongoing diplomatic efforts to ensure the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Rohingya to their homeland.

Chief Adviser Prof Yunus noted that approximately 150,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh over the past 18 months, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation and raising regional tensions.

He expressed strong optimism that Tuesday’s landmark international conference—the first of its kind focused solely on the Rohingya—would produce a clear roadmap for resolving the crisis.

Professor Yunus said that the event is expected to galvanise international support, particularly in mobilising much-needed funding for the over one million Rohingyas currently in Bangladesh.

Grandi praised last month’s regional conference in Cox’s Bazar, where Rohingya community leaders actively participated in the four-day deliberations for the first time.

He encouraged Bangladesh to intensify its diplomatic outreach, particularly with major global powers, to help achieve a durable solution to the crisis.

At the meeting, Dr Khalilur Rahman, National Security Adviser, briefed the UNHCR chief on the ongoing verification process of Rohingyas in Bangladesh.

"To date, approximately 250,000 Rohingyas have been verified," he said.