In the detailed statement, Bangladesh said Myanmar’s portrayal of the Rohingya as illegal migrants before the International Court of Justice is aimed at reinforcing a false narrative of internal security threats to divert attention from atrocity crimes committed against the community.

The government said the Rohingyas are a distinct ethnic group with deep historical roots in Arakan, predating modern borders and the incorporation of the region into the Barman Kingdom in 1785. Their presence is well documented in historical records, colonial demographic accounts, and independent scholarship, it added.

Bangladesh said the term “Rohingya” evolved historically from the old Arakan capital Mro-Haung or Rohang, and was later adopted by the community for self-identification amid systematic marginalisation in Myanmar. Attempts to portray the Rohingya as foreigners or recent migrants are inconsistent with historical facts, the statement said.