The Rohingya refugee crisis is not a new phenomenon in Bangladesh, it has been a contentious issue that has strained Myanmar-Bangladesh relations since the late 1970s. In recent times, after 25 August 2017, the crisis became a big concern, the huge influx of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) have fled violence and human rights violations. The latest influx has increased the number of Rohingya population living in the camps of Cox’s Bazar from one million to three million. This incident has made the situation the fastest growing ‘refugee’ crisis in the world with the highest concentration. Moreover, poverty prone local host areas have been largely affected by the Rohingya crisis. This study intended to recognise the impact of the crisis on the daily life of local host community people. In this study FDMN-makeshift, adjacent host community was in focus for realizing the severity of the impact. Apart from the host community’s perception, the present situation of the FDMN community was also taken into consideration due to capturing a holistic notion of the impact that was created by the new arrivals. A qualitative driven mixed-methods approach was adopted to investigate the situation. The study showed that the influx created multi-dimensional impacts on the socioeconomic, socio-cultural and political aspects of the daily life of the host community. There were huge negative impacts of the influx on the local environment and agricultural operations. The findings of the study not only help to realise the severity of the FDMN crisis but also urge to take some programmatic initiatives targeting both host and FDMN communities.
Authors: Shatil, Tanvir; Ahmed, Md Shakil
Type: Working Paper
Year: 2017
