Jumbangla Desk: The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim A Khan met the Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the Rashtriya Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka on Wednesday (November 27).

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They discussed the Rohingya crisis, the situation in Myanmar, humanitarian aid for the Rohingya, and justice and accountability for atrocities during the July-August mass protests.

Karim A Khan told the Chief Adviser that the ICC Office has formally requested the issuance of an arrest warrant against Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar's military government, for crimes against humanity against the Rohingya minority.

Karim Khan supported the Chief Adviser's call for a special international conference on the Rohingya crisis. The UN General Assembly has agreed to hold this conference in 2025. He expressed hope that a new sustainable direction to solve the crisis will be found from the conference. The overall issue including venue and date of the conference will be decided in the first quarter of 2025.

The Chief Adviser said the conference will bring together all international stakeholders to find a permanent solution to the crisis, particularly the plight of the Rohingya and their children in camps in Bangladesh.

"We have to make sure it doesn't explode," Professor Yunus said of the youth growing up in Rohingya camps in despair.

The influx of several thousand Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh in recent months and the latest situation in Myanmar have caused concern in Bangladesh.

The Chief Adviser reiterated his recent call for the establishment of a safe zone in Myanmar's Rakhine state, saying the safe zone would be effective in assisting displaced people and addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

He said, 'The security of this region should be ensured by the United Nations. When the fighting stops, people in these protected areas can easily return to their respective places'.

Professor Yunus said the interim government would file charges against the Sheikh Hasina government at the ICC for crimes against humanity, including the killings and thousands of disappearances during the July-August mass protests during its almost 16-year-long rule.

The ICC Chief Prosecutor said, they want to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal of Bangladesh. This court issued arrest warrant against Sheikh Hasina and members of her political party.

Khalilur Rahman, Chief Adviser's High Representative for Rohingya Affairs, Lamia Morshed, Chief Coordinator for SDG Affairs of the Chief Adviser's Office, and Riyaz Hamidullah, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were present in the meeting.

Before this, the High Representative for Rohingya affairs Dr. Khalilur Rahman hosted a lunch for Prosecutor Karim A Khan and members of his ICC delegation.

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Khalilur Rahman said, 'Bangladesh is one of the first Asian countries to sign the Rome Statute to establish the ICC and we look forward to deepening our cooperation in the coming days'.