NEARLY one million Rohingya refugees have entered Bangladesh from Myanmar since September 2017. The government's plan to start repatriating them from January 22 this year has been postponed due to concerns about their safety.
That the Bangladesh government agreed to the delay, speaks volumes of its benevolent attitude towards the refugees. In a recent trip to Bangladesh I had a first hand experience of witnessing the state of the unfortunate Rohingya refugees. I saw roads adorned with pro-refugee banners. Groups opposing the political views of the government came together in support of the Rohingyas.
In August 2017 the Bangladesh government allowed a large influx of Rohingya refugees, who fled Myanmar to escape massacre by the Burmese military, into the country. The Myanmar government claims that it was rooting out Rohingya terrorists who had attacked the military posts. The United Nations, however, termed these attacks as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing."
Since then, a large number of Rohingyas crossed the border to come into Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Currently, over half a million Rohingyas are living in refugee camps. The estimated cost of sheltering them is US$1 billion dollars a year.
Rohingya refugees I spoke to did not want to go back to Myanmar. Several women narrated to me the persecution they had been subjected to. One woman showed me how she had been shot in the neck and another pointed to the extensive burns on her face.
In the camps, they have food, shelter, children's education, sanitation, and most importantly, peace. They were receiving goods and amenities that they have not seen before. This was also confirmed by aid workers, who told me that the refugees have come from such deprivation that, at times, they have to be told not to eat the soap that is given to them. Many had never seen daily toiletry items such as soap, toothpaste and moisturizers.
But the government of Bangladesh is also apprehensive about integrating the refugees well into Bangladesh society. I observed, for example, that the Rohingya children are prohibited from learning the local Bangla language in camp schools and are only taught Burmese and English. Any integration into Bangladeshi society would give fodder to the Burmese government's claim that the Rohingyas are Bangladeshi immigrants to Myanmar.
There is also the fear of radicalisation. Extremist groups tried to recruit Rohingyas into their organisations in the past.
In the long run, Bangladesh cannot sustain the current people pressure. Almost 1 in 4 Bangladeshis lives in poverty. Since the country's economy has developed over the past several years, it could provide aid in the early stages of the refugee crisis. This is not sustainable in the long run.
The economic strain is already noticeable in Cox's Bazar, where most of the refugee camps are located. The local people have already started to lodge complains about rising cost of living and job shortages. The plan to repatriate the refugees has been put on hold because of continued violence in Myanmar and an anti-Rohingya sentiment. With repatriation delayed, Bangladesh will need more international help. This is a crisis it cannot manage alone.
Shahana Parvin
East West University
Aftabnagar, Rampura, Dhaka
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