DHAKA: Bangladesh is ready to support an International Criminal Court investigation on Myanmar鈥檚 possible crimes against the Rohingya, authorities said on Thursday as the court鈥檚 top prosecutor wrapped up his official visit to Cox鈥檚 Bazar. 

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday for a four-day visit to investigate possible crimes against humanity by the Myanmar military, which carried out a brutal crackdown in 2017 that forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people into neighboring Bangladesh. 

鈥淭oday, he visited two camps and talked with several victims,鈥� Bangladeshi Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mizanur Rahman told Arab News. 

鈥淗e requested our coordination in the investigation process and of course, we will provide all our cooperation.鈥� 

Bangladesh鈥檚 Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen met with Khan earlier this week and 鈥渁ssured (the) ICC prosecutor of Bangladesh鈥檚 support and cooperation concerning its investigation into (the) situation in Bangladesh/Myanmar,鈥� the Foreign Affairs Ministry said, referring to the Rohingya case. 

More than 1 million Rohingya people live in the squalid camps of Cox鈥檚 Bazar, after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar鈥檚 Rakhine State to neighboring Bangladesh almost six years ago. 

Although Myanmar is not a member of the ICC, the court ruled it has jurisdiction over some crimes related to the Rohingya because of their cross-border nature. 

鈥淭he world cannot forget about the Rohingya and the need for accountability,鈥� Khan said in a tweet after his earlier meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

Members of the Rohingya community in Cox鈥檚 Bazar had hoped to meet with Khan to question the lack of progress on their ICC case. 

鈥淲e believe if we are able to meet with him, then we can ask him some of the questions and we can raise some concerns 鈥� related to (expediting) the process of the proceedings,鈥� Maung Sawyeddollah, founder of community rights group Rohingya Students Network, told Arab News. 

The ICC issued an arrest warrant in March for President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine after Khan launched an investigation last year. 

On the other hand, a full inquiry of Myanmar鈥檚 alleged crimes, specifically the forced deportation of Rohingya from Rakhine State, had been approved by ICC judges in 2019. Khan鈥檚 trip this week is a follow-up to his first visit in February 2022. 

鈥淭he case of the Rohingya preceded that of Ukraine,鈥� Sawyeddollah said. 鈥淲hat we are seeing is a result in the case of Ukraine, but still there is no end result for us in the case of Rohingya. So why did that happen?鈥� 

In 2018, an independent UN fact-finding mission found that Myanmar鈥檚 military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya Muslims with 鈥済enocidal intent.鈥� 

鈥淲e are the victims of genocide,鈥� Nurul Amin, who founded Rohingya Girls School and provided informal lessons to over 100 girls in Cox鈥檚 Bazar, told Arab News. 

Though Amin wants the ICC to continue its investigation, she is unsure of how it will impact the Rohingya. 

鈥淚f they announce this is genocidal violence committed by Myanmar authorities, what will they (ICC) do? Can we go back to our homeland with rights and dignity?鈥�