The locals and the Rohingyas: Trapped with an uncertain future

Abstract

Since the 26 August 2017 influx of the Rohingya community into Bangladesh, particularly in the Cox’s Bazar district, the country has been subjected to phenomenal challenges. While the initial issues were to arrange food and accommodation for a community who had no other option but to flee their homeland, gradually the nature of challenges diversified. This article identifies the relationship between the local community and the Rohingya community in the Cox’s Bazar district in the aftermath of the influx. While doing so, it unfolds different types of tension and difficulties that emerged in the area due to the Rohingya influx. It concludes that the influx has fundamentally affected and altered the lives of the locals, which must be taken into consideration by the Government of Bangladesh in its plans for this region.

The “stateless” Rohingya in Bangladesh: Crisis management and policy responses

“…The Rohingya share their language and culture with the local communities in Cox's Bazar (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR], 2007), and they integrated without difficulty, but they number almost three times the local population now, and the locals claim to be the minority in their own land and experience challenges in their daily life (Yasmin & Akther, 2019). Khatun (2017) mentions social, economic, and environmental challenges, manifest in the pressure on employment, food, education, health, transport, land, and other basic needs.…”

“…In an interview, the headteacher of a local primary school 11 said that some teachers had left their jobs in nongovernment institutions for better-paying jobs in different national and international NGOs, and the shortage of teachers is depriving local students of quality education. The Rohingya who live outside registered camps undercut the local wage for agricultural labor (Bowden, 2018) and daily labor, which leads to conflict with host communities (Rahman, 2010;Yasmin & Akther, 2019).…”

“…The Rohingya are engaging in exchange and in running shops in commercial centers by the camps; a development worker 13 said that some Rohingya sell their relief foodstuff at below-market rates and upset the neighborhoods' market structure, and locals naturally view it as rivalry over livelihood activities. Local house rentals have risen (Yasmin & Akther, 2019). Before the crisis, MFC Holland used to provide local families free medical services, but not anymore, and the government health care services and facilities are overburdened.…”

“…Its demand for resources is huge, and it exhausts natural resources and increases the rivalry between locals and the Rohingya (Rahman, 2010). The cows of the host community cannot graze on the land, and the excessive withdrawal of underground water by tube wells newly installed in the camps is reducing the groundwater level and may create a water crisis (Yasmin & Akther, 2019). The environment and natural resources of Cox's Bazar, a popular tourism destination, are being adversely affected.…”

“…The environment and natural resources of Cox's Bazar, a popular tourism destination, are being adversely affected. The Rohingya have been resettled in almost 793 hectares of natural forestland in Cox's Bazar (Yasmin & Akther, 2019), and large portions of forest and conservation areas in Ukhia and Teknaf sub-districts have been demolished to build settlements and meet fuel demands (Uddin & Khan, 2007;Yasmin & Akther, 2019). Many Rohingya families collect their daily fuel from the local forest, limiting the local community's access to natural resources (Cairns, 2017;Rahman, 2010).…”