CU Correspondent
An international conference titled “Evolving Refugee Protection Architecture in South Asia 2026” was held at the Faculty of Law, University of Chittagong (CU), on Saturday, organised by the university’s Department of Law, the Bangladesh Centre for Refugee Law Studies (BCRLS) and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST).
The conference brought together Supreme Court judges, legal scholars, policymakers, international organisation representatives and researchers to discuss gaps in refugee protection across South Asia and the push for a regional legal framework.
The inaugural session was chaired by Professor Dr Rakiba Nabi, chairperson of the Department of Law. Justice Muhammad Iman Ali attended as chief guest, with Professor Dr Muhammad Shaheen Chowdhury as guest of honour. Special guests included Professor James C. Hathaway of the University of Michigan Law School, UNHCR’s Astrid Castelein, Mohammad Mizanur Rahman and Professor Dr Naqib Muhammad Nasrullah. Professor Dr Borhan Uddin Khan delivered the keynote.
At the closing session, Justice Zinat Ara, chairman of the Bangladesh Law Commission, attended as chief guest. Justice Iman Ali cited Bangladesh’s 1971 experience to argue that refugee protection must go beyond food and shelter to ensure dignity, education and a viable future. Justice Zinat Ara called for a regional framework rooted in refugee law, human rights law and environmental justice, urging stronger international support for safe Rohingya repatriation.
Professor Borhan Uddin Khan traced forced displacement in South Asia from the 1947 Partition through to the Rohingya crisis, noting that a 1996 regional refugee law effort collapsed due to political disagreements and SAARC’s consensus-based structure. Mizanur Rahman said Bangladesh is sheltering nearly 1.2 million Rohingyas under considerable strain. Professor Nasrullah pointed out that Bangladesh still has no statutory definition of “refugee.”
The conference ended with certificate distribution and a group photograph.