Who are Rohingya? What to do in Bangladesh to solve the Rohingya problem

Who are Rohingya? What to do in Bangladesh to solve the Rohingya problem

Who are Rohingya?

The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority group that has lived as a people in Myanmar for centuries. Today, more than a million of them live in the country, most in the western coastal state of Rakhine, where they make up around a third of the population. They speak their own language, which isn't recognized by the state. Muslims have lived in the area now known as Myanmar since as early as the 12th century, according to many historians and Rohingya groups. The Arakan Rohingya National Organisation has said,"Rohingyas have been living in Arakan from time immemorial" referring to the area now known as Rakhine. This has led many Buddhists to consider the Rohingya to be Bengali, rejecting the term Rohingya as a recent invention, created for political reasons.

Who are Rohingya? What to do in Bangladesh to solve the Rohingya problem

Recent  Rohingya Crisis and Influx to Bangladesh

Killing and torture of the Rohingyas in Myanmar started afresh in 2017.The brutality against the Rohingyas by the Myanmar army has been termed as“ethnic cleansing” by the UNHCR. According to the office of the Cox’s Bazar District Commissioner, from 25 August,2017

on 25 October 2017, a total of 605,000 Rohingyas have arrived in Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. Around 203,431 Rohingyas were already living in Ukhiya and Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar who entered Bangladesh during July 2005- 24 August 2017.

Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas of Cox’s Bazar are the focal areas of Rohingya camps. Except these two areas, about 200,000 Rohingyas are living in the surrounding area of Ramu, Cox’s Bazar pourosova, Bandarban, Chittagong and other areas of Chittagong district The influx of the Rohingyas to Bangladesh continues till now.

According to the UNOCHA (2017), a total number of the Rohingya influx to Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh stood at about 821,000 from 25 August to 05 November 2007. Till 25 October 2017, a cumulative number of Rohingyas staying in Bangladesh is 1,008,431. These include both old and new entrants.

What to do in Bangladesh to solve the Rohingya problem:

The Rohingya crisis has given rise to multi-dimensional problem for Bangladesh.While the government of Bangladesh and international and non-government organisations are playing the critical role to provide humanitarian support to the Rohingyas, major global State are yet to take strong positions in resolving the crisis. In view of the emergent challenges, a number of measures need to be undertaken. Some of these are as follows:

1.    The Government of Bangladesh has to continue energetic diplomacy, particularly with the regional partners to solve the problem.

2.    No more  Rohingyas are allowed to enter Bangladesh.

3.    Make lists of Rohingya who are in Bangladesh and arrange strict surveillance. Formulate a Rohingya policy; By which the government of Bangladesh will provide the benefits of the refugee Rohingyas, if the Rohingyas are to remain in Bangladesh, then what rules should be followed?

4.    The Rohingya who are now in Bangladesh, To help them return to Myanmar with the assistance of international community and organization. Besides, Attempt to send Rohingya Refugees to any third country.

5.    Making pressure on the government of Myanmar internationally and locally, So That the Myanmar government recognizes Rohingya as the citizen and gives autonomy to the northern Arakan region.

6.    An in-depth study to assess the short, medium and long-term implications for domestic and foreign resources should be undertaken. All explicit and implicit costs related to the Rohingya crisis should be estimated.

7.    Security measures in the Rohingya camps and adjacent areas, particularly in the Southern of the country have to be strengthened. The law enforcing agencies have to be vigilant to stop illegal activities, drug trade, trafficking and terrorism

The Rohingya situation is urgent and complex. The mass exodus of Rohingya is already putting enormous stress on the limited resources of Bangladesh. As more Rohingya arrives on a daily basis, there are a number of states and non-state actors that might try to exploit the security situation in this country. Bangladesh must find a comprehensive solution to the refugee crisis and must work out a cohesive security strategy to deal with all the potential threats. Otherwise, this situation will threaten the security of the state.