Teknaf, Bangladesh – September 2017. Rohingya refugees crossing temporary bridge made with bamboo near Shah Parir Dwip, Teknaf.
The Rohingya Plight
by Kazi Riasat Alve
[R]ohingya people, an ethnic Muslim community in Myanmar, which is one of the most persecuted stateless communities in the world, a victim of ethnic cleansing mayhem led by Myanmar’s armed forces from last several decades. But this mayhem clearly turned into almost a genocidal state since August 25th of this year. At least more than half million people from this ethnic community have fled inhumane atrocities in the Rakhine state recently, which is a western state of Myanmar. A huge number of these people crossed the border and took refuge to Bangladesh. Most of these recently arrived Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are women, elderly people and children.
The plight of Rohingya people didn’t just start few months back. Under the citizenship law of 1982 in Myanmar Rohingya people were not considered as the citizens of the state. Thus they were barred from basic rights like formal education or healthcare. They no longer had any ground for taking part in civil and political activities legally.
Ukhiya, Bangladesh – September 2017. This Rohingya family temporarily settled down at a makeshift camp in Ukhiya. In the makeshift camps living conditions are poor, but still they feel like they have been in heaven after entering Bangladesh.Teknaf, Bangladesh – September 2017. A Rohingya family was resting at Shah Parir Dwip after the exhausting journey they experienced during fleeing to Bangladesh. Their house was burnt down, the children has no trace of their father.Ukhiya, Bangladesh – September 2017. Harun, a rohingya man who was shot by Burmese military forces. He managed to flee in Bangladesh with the help of his cousin.
During recent massacre in the Rakhine state villages after villages inhabiting Rohingya people were burnt down, women got raped, children were brutally killed and male members of the families were either abducted by Military forces or brutally got killed. Their assets, cattle were looted by the local Rakhine collaborators of armed forces. These Rohingya people had very few options other than fleeing to Bangladesh with what little they could carry on their backs. According to reports more than eighty percent of the newly arrived Rohingya refugees are women, children and elderly people . Many of the elderly people and children lost their family members and moved to Bangladesh alone. These people are carrying the trauma of horrifying situations they went through.
At least four hundred thousand Rohingyas were already living in both registered and unregistered refugee camps situated in Ukhiya and Teknaf regions of Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. But the number of the refugees just doubled since late August of this year. In these refugee camps basic facilities for living are just scarce. There is lack of food , medicine, and healthcare and so on. International community already considering this situation in the refugee camps as a state of humanitarian emergency. Bangladesh government, Bangladesh Army, UN agencies, NGOs are involved in continuous relief efforts but it has become almost impossible for them to manage the humanitarian disaster in the Rohingya camps.
Ukhiya, Bangladesh – September 2017. Saddam, a Rohingya child who was sleeping at Kutupalong makeshift camp. His mother claims he is more than one year old but he didn’t grow up properly due to lack of nourishment.Teknaf, Bangladesh – September 2017. This Rohingya family just crossed the border through boat. This man had to carry his pregnant wife with the help of other Rohingyas from very far away inside Myanmar.Teknaf, Bangladesh – September 2017. “I’ve felt like I’ve got a new life when I got off the boat”… This Rohingya man said this just after entering Bangladesh from Myanmar. He and his family crossed the Naf river during night. Just after getting off from the boat he was resting in the riverbank .Teknaf, Bangladesh – September 2017. An elderly Rohingya man was running towards riverbank with torchlight just after crossing the Naf river through boat.
The incoming wave of Rohingya people in Bangladesh didn’t stopped yet. Myanmar forces have put many landmines in the Bangladesh-Myanmar border area, so that it will be difficult for the Rohingya people to go back to their land someday. Many Rohingya people are losing their lives or getting badly injured while coming to Bangladesh recently.
The Rohingya refugees do not know fate, they do not know in future whether their land will consider them as citizen and thus they’d be able to go back to their homes or not. Other than the that remaining stateless, living a inhumane life in the refugee camps is their only future.
(by Kazi Riasat Alve)
Ukhiya, Bangladesh – September 2017. Chemon, A Rohingya woman who could manage to flee in Bangladesh along with her baby. Her husband was killed by Myanmar forces.Teknaf, Bangladesh – September 2017. This Rohingya girl lost both of her parents back in Myanmar. She could manage to flee from there with her sister and with a piece of cloth in the polythene bag. She had no idea that where she’ll go with her sister.Chittagong, Bangladesh – September 2017. This Rohingya man could manage to flee from Myanmar with his family. But after arriving at Bangladesh they had a road accident near Hnila area while they were going to seek shelter at makeshift camps. His daughter had a severe brain injury resulting from that accident. Now she’s being treated at Chittagong Medical College Hospital’s Neurology ward.Ukhiya, Bangladesh – September 2017. Burial of an elderly Rohingya refugee woman. She was wet in the rain for several days while fleeing from Myanmar. Thus she was affected by severe pneumonia and died just after arriving at Kutupalong, Ukhiya.
Kazi Riasat Alve, 1990, is a Bangladesh based photographer, at first he majored in Marketing and communication studies but he always had a vision… More »
