TENS of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar living in dozens of camps in Bangladesh marked the eighth anniversary of their mass exodus, demanding a safe return to their previous home in Rakhine state.

The refugees gathered today in an open field at a camp in Kutupalong, in the Cox’s Bazar district in south-eastern Bangladesh, the site of a large refugee camp.

They carried banners reading “no more refugee life” and “repatriation the ultimate solution,” to mark what they called Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day.

One of the protesters, Nur Aziz, said: “We want to go back to our country with equal rights like other ethnic groups in Myanmar.

“The rights they are enjoying in Myanmar as citizens of the country, we too want to enjoy the same rights.”

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, urged the international community to facilitate a process for their safe return as he addressed a three-day conference on the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar.

Mr Yunus said the “relationship of Rohingyas with their homeland cannot be severed.

“Their right to return to their homeland has to be secured.

“Therefore, we urge all parties and partners to work hard for charting a practical roadmap for their speedy, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustainable return to their homes in Rakhine as soon as possible.”