The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Kelley E. Currie, will visit Bangladesh from 11 to 18 November 2026 to assess the impact of Myanmar's deteriorating human rights situation on its neighbour. She will travel to Dhaka and to Rohingya refugee camp sites in Cox's Bazar district.

During the visit Currie will meet government officials, civil society representatives, victims and survivors. Her focus will be developments in Rakhine State and the broader armed conflict in Myanmar, the situation of Rohingya refugees, and opportunities for future cooperation between the United Nations and Bangladesh. Currie, a former US diplomat, took up the mandate on 1 May 2026.

Myanmar refused access for a visit

Currie formally requested access for a country visit to Myanmar itself, but the country's military regime told her it was not ready to accommodate a visit. Myanmar's armed forces seized power in a coup in February 2021, triggering a civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people, according to conflict monitor ACLED.

Bangladesh hosts around 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, most of them in overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh's foreign ministry has said the protracted crisis has become a security concern for the country, as fighting across the border in Rakhine State continues to drive displacement.

What happens next

Currie will hold a press conference at 2pm local time on Wednesday 18 November at the UN House in Dhaka, for accredited journalists. She will present her next report to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2027. Her press conference comes a day before the International Court of Justice is due to deliver its judgment on 19 November in the case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar over alleged breaches of the Genocide Convention.

Read the UN advisory and the TBS News report.