OTTAWA, ON – December 5, 2025 – Human Concern International (HCI), together with Human Concern USA, led a Canadian parliamentary delegation to Bangladesh from November 10-15 to renew attention on the ongoing Rohingya crisis and reassert Canada’s role in supporting one of the world’s most vulnerable and overlooked populations.

The delegation traveled from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar, home to nearly one million Rohingya refugees who have lived in exile since fleeing mass violence and persecution in Myanmar. Over the course of the week, Canadian leaders met with Rohingya women, men, and youth, hearing firsthand accounts of displacement and resilience, as well as their enduring hope for a future defined by dignity, safety, and freedom.

The delegation included Senator Salma Ataullahjan, Member of Parliament Salma Zahid, and Member of Parliament Sameer Zuberi. Together, they toured the camps and visited HCI-funded projects made possible by Canadian donors, including a school, maternal health clinic, and an IOM-supported mental health clinic, gaining direct insight into both the scale of need and the impact of sustained humanitarian investment.

For many Rohingya refugees, this visit offered a rare moment of visibility and solidarity for a crisis that has increasingly faded from the global spotlight.

“This visit opened our eyes to the depth of resilience and the challenges faced by the Rohingya and their Bangladeshi hosts,” said Senator Salma Ataullahjan, who has long advocated for Rohingya refugees. “It’s vital that Canada continues to support organizations that are responding to the needs of the Rohingya people.”

“They do not want to be refugees forever,” said MP Salma Zahid, Member of Parliament, Scarborough Centre – Don Valley East, Ontario. “They want to go home. But until then, they deserve education, opportunity, and humanity right here.”

“It was critical for us to listen directly to the Rohingya who are directly affected,” said MP Sameer Zuberi, Member of Parliament, Pierrefonds – Dollard, Quebec. “The international community has a responsibility to remain engaged. Our visit deepened our understanding of what meaningful support looks like.

Since 2017, Canada has played an important role in supporting the Rohingya response, providing humanitarian assistance and standing alongside Bangladesh in refugee protection efforts. Yet in recent years, Canadian and international attention and funding have declined. This delegation was designed to reconnect Canadian policymakers with on-the-ground realities and reaffirm the urgent need for sustained Canadian leadership.

“Too many global actors have moved on. But the Rohingya people have not. Their lives remain in limbo,” said Mahmuda Khan, CEO of Human Concern International. “This delegation was about listening, witnessing, and restoring visibility. And for those we met, it was about knowing that someone still sees them, still hears them, and is willing to speak for them.”

Human Concern International has maintained a presence in Bangladesh for more than forty years and remains one of the few NGOs deepening its humanitarian efforts in the region as international attention and funding continues to decline. Its programs focus on access to clean water, food security, education, healthcare, and livelihood support for displaced communities.

Following their return to Canada, members of the delegation have committed to raising the Rohingya crisis in Parliament and advocating for renewed, long-term Canadian engagement.

To support HCI’s work in Bangladesh or to learn more, visit humanconcern.org.