Public Lecture Discussing Legal Issues for Rohingya Refugees by Bangladeshi Legal Expert, Fahim Abrar Abid

On Monday, 8 June 2026, a public lecture entitled “The Protection of Rohingya Refugees from the Perspective of International Law” was held at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII). The lecture was delivered by Fahim Abrar Abid, Founder of the Bangladesh Society of International Law (BSIL).

In his opening remarks, Dodik Setiawan Nur Heriyanto, Ph.D., Head of the Undergraduate Law Study Program, emphasized the importance of the lecture in providing a comprehensive understanding of how other countries address the protection of Rohingya refugees. He stated:

“This public lecture is highly important in providing a comprehensive understanding of how other countries have approached the protection of Rohingya refugees. The issue remains unresolved, and Southeast Asian countries have yet to establish an effective framework to address it. Therefore, it is a privilege to welcome an expert from Bangladesh, Mr. Fahim Abrar Abid, the founder of the Bangladesh Society of International Law.”

During the lecture, Fahim Abrar Abid explained that the refugee issue affects not only ASEAN countries but also other states, including Bangladesh. He particularly highlighted the challenges surrounding the protection of refugee children. According to him, Rohingya refugee children often experience unequal treatment due to the limited ratification of relevant international legal instruments and the inadequacy of national legal frameworks in ensuring effective protection for child refugees.

He further stated: “Although the Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees protection, particularly the right to education for all children within its territory, in practice, many Rohingya refugees are categorized as illegal migrants, preventing them from accessing adequate educational opportunities. In response, several legal scholars in Bangladesh have applied the Security Absorption Theory as an approach to strengthen the protection of Rohingya refugee children.”

Fahim also noted that, as of June 2026, Bangladesh hosts approximately 960,000 Rohingya refugees, with nearly half of them being children. On this occasion, the Faculty of Law UII and the Bangladesh Society of International Law (BSIL) also signed a collaboration agreement in the fields of research and teaching. The event concluded with a group photo session involving the guest speaker, faculty members, and students who attended the public lecture.