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Dhaka, September 5, 2025: Ivo Freijsen, the newly appointed Representative for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, presented his credentials to Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Thursday. The meeting underscored a shared commitment to protecting and finding sustainable solutions for over 1.1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar currently residing in Bangladesh, according to a UNHCR press release.
Freijsen, a Dutch national, expressed his gratitude, stating, “It is both an honour and a privilege to represent UNHCR in Bangladesh—a country that has so generously hosted people forced to flee for many years. I look forward to working closely with national and international partners to support Bangladesh in its ongoing response to the Rohingya refugee crisis.”
Bangladesh has been hosting Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled widespread violence and persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017, with nearly 740,000 seeking safety across the border. UNHCR, in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh and other humanitarian actors, continues to provide protection, shelter, and essential services to the refugees, who remain unable to safely return to Myanmar.
