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An international conference on refugee protection in South Asia was held at Chittagong University (CU) on Sunday, highlighting legal, humanitarian and policy challenges surrounding displacement and forced migration in the region.
The day-long event, titled “International Conference on Evolving Refugee Protection Architecture in South Asia 2026,” was organised by the Law Department of CU under the Hit Project in collaboration with the Bangladesh Centre for Refugee Law Studies (BCRLS), at the university’s Law Faculty auditorium.
Former Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh Muhammad Iman Ali attended the event as the chief guest, while Dean of the Faculty of Law Professor Dr Muhammad Zafar Ullah Talukder presided over the session. Bangladesh Public Service Commission member Professor Dr Muhammad Shaheen Chowdhury was present as the guest of honour.
The conference also featured CU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Dr Mohammad Al-Amin, Professor Emeritus James C. Hathaway of the University of Michigan Law School, University of Dhaka Professor Dr Naqib Muhammad Nasrullah, Commissioner for Refugee Relief and Repatriation (Additional Secretary) in Cox’s Bazar Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, and UNHCR Assistant Representative (Protection) Astrid Castellin, among others.
The keynote paper was presented by Professor Dr Borhan Uddin Khan of the University of Dhaka.
In his remarks, former Justice Muhammad Iman Ali recalled Bangladesh’s own experience of displacement during the Liberation War and drew attention to the ongoing Rohingya crisis. He stressed that refugee protection must go beyond food and shelter to ensure dignity, education, identity, and future opportunities for displaced populations, particularly children. He also underscored the importance of aligning refugee protection with international human rights instruments, including the ICCPR, ICESCR and CAT.
Chairman of the Bangladesh Law Commission and former Appellate Division Justice Zeenat Ara said refugee protection is fundamentally linked to human dignity, justice and shared international responsibility. She noted that South Asia continues to face long-standing challenges of displacement, statelessness and forced migration, calling for a stronger regional legal and institutional framework.
She further said that refugee protection requires a multidimensional approach integrating international refugee law, human rights law, customary international law, humanitarian principles and environmental justice.
The conference concluded with the distribution of certificates, mementos and crests among participants, researchers and guests.
