State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Tuesday urged the International Committee of the Red Cross to strengthen its advocacy for the early repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, as Bangladesh marked the ninth anniversary of their mass exodus from Rakhine State.

The appeal came during a meeting in Dhaka between the state minister and Régis Savioz, the ICRC’s regional director for Asia Pacific.

Obaed recalled the atrocities committed against the Rohingyas and their mass flight from Rakhine State, noting that Tuesday marked the ninth anniversary of those events. She expressed appreciation for the ICRC’s continued support for the Rohingyas and sought sustained humanitarian engagement.

The state minister also briefed Savioz on the government’s people-centric and humanitarian approach to social protection, highlighting the potential impact of its Family Card and Farmer Card initiatives.

She drew attention to the growing incidence of digital harassment, particularly against women, and sought the ICRC’s cooperation in addressing emerging digital threats and their humanitarian consequences.

Obaed also proposed exploring the possibility of hosting an ICRC regional meeting on international humanitarian law in Dhaka.

Savioz commended Bangladesh’s continued cooperation with the ICRC and acknowledged its constructive contribution to the global IHL agenda, including as co-chair of the “IHL and Peace” workstream.

He said the organisation was willing to expand cooperation on IHL dissemination, capacity building, humanitarian response and other areas of mutual interest.