International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 8, Issue 12, December-2017 1192

ISSN 2229-5518

Rohingya Crisis and The Concerns for

Bangladesh
Md Thuhid Noor, Md Shahidul Islam & Saha Forid

Abstract— This paper aims to analyze the concurrent overview of Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh and the number is
increasing day by day. It also gives importance on the concerns for Bangladesh in the context of food security, environment, tourism,
national security and so on. Although Bangladesh government along with international organizations and Non-Government
Organizations is trying to ensure the quality of living of the Rohingyas, impediments are evident. Furthermore, intensive cooperation
and support from allies and the rest of the world can certainly reduce certain burden from Bangladesh Government by providing
foods, medications and other necessary goods for the Rohingyas.

Keywords— Rohingya, Refugees, Genocide, Concern, Myanmar & Bangladesh

——————————  ——————————
Myanmar have been widely compared
1 INTRODUCTION to apartheid by many international academics,
analysts and political figures, including Desmond

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Tutu, a famous South African anti-apartheid
he Rohingya people (historically also
activist.
termed Arakanese Indians) are a stateless
Indo-Aryan people from Rakhine State, Myanmar.
The Rohingyas have faced military crackdowns
The Rohingya maintain they are indigenous to
in 1978, 1991–1992, 2012, 2015 and 2016–2017. UN
western Myanmar with a heritage of over a
officials and HRW have described Myanmar's
millennium and influence from the Arabs,
persecution of the Rohingya as ethnic cleansing.
Mughals and Portuguese. On 22 Oct 2017,
The UN human rights envoy to Myanmar reported
the UN reported that an estimated 603,000 refugees
"the long history of discrimination and persecution
from Rakhine, Myanmar had crossed the border
against the Rohingya community... could amount
into Bangladesh alone since August 25, 2017.This
to crimes against humanity," and there have been
number increased to 624000 by November 7,
warnings of an unfolding genocide. Yanghee Lee,
2017. The majority are Muslim while a minority
the UN special investigator on Myanmar, believes
are Hindu. Described by the United Nations in
the country wants to expel its entire Rohingya
2013 as one of the most persecuted minorities in
population.
the world, the Rohingya population are
denied citizenship under the 1982 Myanmar
The Rohingya community claims it is descended
nationality law. According to Human Rights
from people in precolonial Arakan and colonial
Watch, the 1982 laws effectively deny to the
Arakan; historically, the region was an
Rohingya the possibility of acquiring a nationality.
independent kingdom between Southeast Asia and
Despite being able to trace Rohingya history to the
the Indian subcontinent. Rohingya legislators were
8th century, Myanmar law does not recognize the
elected to the Parliaments of Myanmar until
ethnic minority as one of the eight "national races".
persecution increased in the late-20th century.
They are also restricted from freedom of
Despite accepting the term Rohingya in the
movement, state education and civil service
past, the current official position of the Myanmar
jobs. The legal conditions faced by the Rohingya in
government is that Rohingyas are not a national
———————————————— race, but are illegal immigrants from
• Lecturer, Southeast University, Bangladesh, PH- +8801738386422. E-mail: neighboring Bangladesh. Myanmar's government
[email protected] has stopped recognizing the term "Rohingya" and
• Lecturer, Southeast University, Bangladesh, PH- +8801718881772. E-mail: prefers to refer to the community as
[email protected]
• Project Coordinator, Gender Based Violence in Emergency Project, MUKTI Cox’s
Bengalis. Rohingya campaign groups, notably the
Bazar, Bangladesh, PH- +8801849794210. E-mail: [email protected] Arakan Rohingya National Organization, demand
the right to "self-determination within Myanmar".

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International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 8, Issue 12, December-2017 1193
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research paper, this paper will also focus on the

Probes by the UN have found evidence of perception of the Rohingya women regarding birth
increasing incitement of hatred and religious control, sex education and complications in
intolerance by "ultra-nationalist Buddhists" against pregnancy.
Rohingyas while the Myanmar security forces have
been conducting "summary executions, enforced 3 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detentions, In total, more than 8,30,000 Rohingya refugees
torture and ill-treatment and forced labour" against are sheltering in Bangladesh, having escaped
the community. According to the UN, the human violence and persecution in Myanmar according to
rights violations against the Rohingyas are "crimes Bangladesh Government. This includes more than
against humanity". 6,24,000 people, the vast majority women and
children, who have fled since violence erupted on
Before the 2015 Rohingya refugee crisis and 25 August. The momentum and scale of arrivals
the military crackdown in 2016 and 2017, the make this the world’s fastest growing refugee
Rohingya population in Myanmar was around 1.0 crisis. The incoming refugees are housed or have
to 1.3 million, chiefly in the northern Rakhine sought shelter in Cox’s Bazar and its upazilas,
townships. Since 2015, over 900,000 Rohingya where extensive pressure is being placed on
refugees have fled to southeastern Bangladesh resources. The people who have arrived in
alone, and more to other surrounding countries, Bangladesh since 25 August came with very few
and major Muslim nations. More than 100,000 possessions. They have used the majority of their
Rohingyas in Myanmar are confined in camps savings on transportation and constructing a
for internally displaced persons. Shortly before a shelter, often out of no more than bamboo and thin

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Rohingya rebel attack that killed 12 security forces, plastic. They are now reliant on humanitarian
August 25, 2017, the Myanmar military had assistance for food, and other life-saving needs.
launched "clearance operations" against the Basic services that were available prior to the
Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state that left over influx are under severe strain due to the massive
3,000 dead, many more injured, tortured or raped, increase in people in the area. In some of the sites
villages burned. Over 603,000 Rohingya from that have spontaneously emerged, water and
Myanmar, fled to Bangladesh alone, and more to sanitation facilities are limited or of poor quality,
other countries. According to Refugee Relief and with extremely high density raising the risks of an
Repatriation Commission, about 624,000 outbreak of disease. The Rohingya population in
Rohingyas entered Bangladesh until November 7. Cox’s Bazar is highly vulnerable, having fled
conflict and experienced severe trauma, and now
Refugees International described the actions living in extremely difficult conditions.
of the Myanmar military as "crimes against
humanity." Population movements within Cox’s Bazar
remain highly fluid, with increasing concentration
2 OBJECTIVES in Ukhia, where the Government has allocated
Notable objectives of this paper are given 3,000 acres for a new camp. People have begun
below. arriving at the new, proposed site before
infrastructure and services can be established.
1. To assess current situation of Rohingya crisis Crucially there is limited access to the site and no
roads through this site; this is preventing the
2. To identify the role of international agencies development of infrastructure including water and
in providing aid sanitation facilities.

3. To figure out the current health condition of One significant resource is increasingly limited
Rohingya children cooking fuel. Wood fuel collected from protected
forest reserves is the main source of cooking fuel
4. To draw concerns for Bangladesh for refugees. The speed of the influx of arrivals is
contributing to the lack of cooking fuel in markets
5. To assess overall facilities for Rohingyas from and its high prices, now reaching more than 60
Bangladesh Government. percent of refugee households’ weekly
expenditure. To afford fuel, people are resorting to
Though these are the notable objectives of this selling food and assets. More and more food,
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firewood and other commodities are being the Children, Action Contre La Faim, UNHCR,
imported from neighboring districts, as local Unicef, and WFP in last two weeks. Children are
people are unable to meet the demands of the significantly more vulnerable to infections and
burgeoning market. High prices of goods and diseases like diarrhea and chest infections.
transportation are increasing the negative impacts
on the local population. In addition, a large number of Rohingya
children are arriving in Bangladesh already
3.1 SERVICES FROM INTERNATIONAL malnourished. Then they are put in a situation
AGENCIES where they have to rely on food rations to survive,
where hygiene standards are poor, where clean
Mobilizing resources to support one of the
drinking water is hard to come by and lots of
world’s poorest and most densely populated
people are getting sick as a result. Every day
countries has proved challenging. The Government
children arrive at health clinics in desperate need
of Bangladesh is responding to the crisis in
of therapeutic food to stave off death. It is rare to
partnership with national and international
see this level of malnutrition among children, even
humanitarian and development agencies. Short-
in a crisis like this, and even rarer to see it affecting
and medium-term solutions are needed to increase
adults as well.
support to host communities and families
supporting refugees, and improve the wider food
The threat of cholera is like a "ticking bomb" for
and agriculture environment of impacted areas
the hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas who have
outside camps. The Food and Agriculture
flooded into Bangladesh in recent weeks,
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with
according to Red Cross. The International
government partners, civil society and other

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Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
United Nations agencies, is working to meet early
Societies (IFRC) stated that there is every certain
response needs and contribute to longer-term
reason to fear that the way Rohingya children is in
solutions to the region’s endemic poverty.
a situation can lead to cholera outbreaks. They
stated the conditions are "difficult to describe" and
By building on successful work with partners
"very heartbreaking".
through the Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE)
initiative, FAO is addressing energy needs during
Unicef is providing clean water and toilets, and
this crisis to build resilience. The coordinated
has helped to vaccinate children against measles
response is guided by the Food Security cluster, co-
and cholera, which can be deadly. The agency is
led by FAO and the World Food Programme
seeking $76m under a $434m UN appeal for
(WFP). The Inter-Sectoral Coordination Group,
Rohingya refugees for six months, but is only
headed by the International Organization for
seven percent funded. UN agencies are still
Migration (IOM), coordinates ongoing
demanding access to northern Rakhine, where an
humanitarian assistance. A joint project with WFP
unknown number of Rohingya remain despite UN
and IOM that contributes to the Humanitarian
reports that many villages and food stocks have
Response Plan is planned for December 2017–2020.
been burned.
3.2 CONCERNS FOR ROHINGYA CHILDREN
The call for the need for protection of all
More than half are children, according to children in Rakhine state; this is an absolute
Unicef. Children who have seen things that a child fundamental requirement. The atrocities against
should never witness. Children are losing their children and civilians must end.
childhood.
3.3 NOTABLE DISEASES
One in five Rohingya children under the age of
1. One of the biggest concerns is the poor
five is estimated to be acutely malnourished,
sanitation and lack of hygiene facilities that has
requiring medical attention. There is a very severe
sparked growing fears over the emergence of
risk of outbreaks of water-borne diseases, diarrhea
cholera, which spreads through dirty water and
and quite conceivably cholera in the longer-term.
can kill if untreated.
About a third of those children are “severely”
2. The IFRC, which last month opened a field
malnourished, meaning they are nine times more
hospital near the camps, has treated numerous
likely to die than the children who are not
patients for acute diarrhea.
malnourished, says a research conducted by Save
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International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 8, Issue 12, December-2017 1195
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“My husband said we need more children as we

3. At the same time, the UN began a massive have land and property (in Rakhine). We don’t
vaccination campaign in a bid to avoid a cholera have to worry to feed them,” she said.
epidemic, but while no cases have appeared so far,
the IFRC warned unhygienic conditions could see Pintu Kanti Bhattacharjee, who heads the family
the disease spread. planning service in the district of Cox’s Bazar
where the camps are based, said there was little
4. Up to 12,000 more children join them every awareness of birth control among the Rohingya.
week, fleeing violence or hunger in Myanmar,
often still traumatized by atrocities they witnessed, “The whole community has been deliberately
it said in a report “Outcast and Desperate”. left behind,” he said, citing a lack of education
in Myanmar, where the Rohingya are viewed as
3.4 FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM illegal immigrants and denied access to many
services.
Large families are the norm in the camps, where
some parents have up to 19 children and many Bangladesh has for years run a successful
Rohingya men have more than one wife. domestic sterilization programme, offering 2,300
taka ($28) and a traditional lungi garment to each
District family planning authorities have man who agrees to undergo the procedure. Every
launched a drive to provide contraception, but say month 250 people undergo sterilization in the
they have so far managed to distribute just 549 border town of Cox’s Bazar.
packets of condoms among the refugees, who are

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reluctant to use them. They have asked the
government to approve a plan to launch
4 FACILITIES FROM BANGLADESH
vasectomies for Rohingya men and tubectomies for GOVERNMENT
women. But they are likely to face an uphill
struggle. As of 11 November 2017, the passport and
immigration department of Bangladeshi
Many of the refugees believed a large family government has registered 482,877 people through
would help them survive in the camps, where biometric registration. The Local government and
access to food and water remains a daily battle and Engineering Department (LGED) has completed
children are often sent out to fetch and carry 82% of 10 access roads in different camps areas.
supplies. Others have been told contraception is The Armed Forces Division (AFD) has completed
against the tenets of Islam. the first stage (soil work) of 5.8KM of the 22KM
road (noted on the map in red) throughout the
Farhana Sultana, a family planning volunteer mega camp. They have also completed 515 meter
who works with Rohingya refugees in the camps, of brick work. The road will be constructed with
said many of the women she spoke to believed bricks. The Rural Electricity Board (REB) has
birth control was a sin. expanded 9KM of electric line in the new mega
camp area. They have also installed 50 street lights
“In Rakhine they did not go to family planning and 10 flood lights as well as 33 solar lights.
clinics, fearing the Myanmar authorities would
give medicine that harms them or their children,” The latest arrivals have joined hundreds of
Sultana said. thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled in earlier
waves from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, where the
Volunteers have been struggling to sell the stateless Muslim minority has endured decades of
benefits of birth control to Rohingya women, most persecution. Most live in desperate conditions with
of whom came to them for advice on pregnancy limited access to food, sanitation or health facilities
complications or help with newborns. and local officials fear a lack of family planning
could stretch resources even further. Bangladesh is
Sabura, a mother of seven children, said that her planning to introduce voluntary sterilization in its
husband believed the couple could support a large overcrowded Rohingya camps, where nearly a
family. “I spoke to my husband about birth control million refugees are fighting for space, after efforts
measures. But he is not convinced. He was given to encourage birth control failed.
two condoms but he did not use them,” she said.
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5 CONCERNS FOR BANGLADESH 7 REFERENCES

One of the notable concerns for Bangladesh is [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohingya_peo

the shortage of food. Though it has certain food ple
storage for its own people, it would be difficult to [2] https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/rohi
feed additional 8 million people. ngya-refugees-crisis
[3] https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/iscg
Secondly, the area, where the Rohingyas have -situation-report-rohingya-refugee-crisis-cox-s-
been sheltered, is a tourist place and bazar-12-nov-2017
geographically carries significant importance. As [4] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/
the Rohingyas are entering through the way of oct/28/bangladesh-to-offer-sterilisation-to-
going to St. Martin Island of Bangladesh, the rohingya-in-refugee-camps
tourism business is almost shut due to the [5] http://time.com/these-people-dont-have-the-
cancellation of ship service as per security concern. time-to-mourn/
[6] http://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/06/asia/ban
The environment of the Cox’s Bazar, moreover, gladesh-rohingya-new-camp/index.html
is severely damaged by the Rohingyas as there are [7] http://www.thedailystar.net/rohingya-
insufficient sanitary latrines. Safe drinking water crisis/myanmar-hilarious-claim-bangladesh-
and toilets are in “desperately short supply” in the delays-rohingyas-refugee-repatriation-process-
chaotic, teeming camps and settlements. international-aid-1484782
[8] http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/bang
In addition to this, the security concern is above ladesh-paying-heavy-toll-its-generosity-

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all. As the national election of Bangladesh is 1485706
coming soon, the entrance of Rohingya would be a [9] http://www.thedailystar.net/tags/rohingya
clear threat to the nation.

This is not going to be a short-term problem, it

is not going to end anytime soon. As it is
absolutely critical that the borders remain open
and that protection for children is given and
equally that children born in Bangladesh have their
birth registered.

6 CONCLUSION

The Rohingya refugees are an "unbearable

burden" to Bangladesh. Solutions lie with
(Myanmar) because the problem was created by
the Myanmar government. Bangladesh wants
Rohingyas to take back to their own homeland.
Most Rohingya are stateless in Myanmar and
many fled without papers adding of the newborns
in Bangladesh: “Without an identity they have no
chance of ever assimilating into any society
effectively.” How would they be sent back? UN
should take initiatives to compel Myanmar to take
their citizens back and ensure safety and security.
The whole process should be monitored by UN
officials.

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