Example of hardship faced by Rohingya in Bangladesh refugee camp

Andrew Day

RB News

July 26, 2013

Cox’s Bazaar: On Sunday, July 21, 2013, Nur Kabir sat on a chair outside of a pity (small) shop. Kabir, 25, son of Nasir Ahamed, was talking business with the shop keeper in block P of the Nayapara Refugee camp, in the Cox's Bazaar district of Bangladesh. 

Four police officers approached the shop as Kabir and the shop keeper were speaking. One officer demanded that Kabir got up from the chair. In conversation, the young refugee student failed to immediately comply with their demand. According to witnesses, the four police officers approached the boy and began to "beat him mercilessly" with sticks. Kabir was then sent to the CIC (camp in charge) office. The CIC told his parents to admit him to the hospital. He was admitted for chest injuries. After a four day hospital stay, he was released. 

Once returning, the CIC conducted their investigation. The police stated that the boy had threatened to assault them and that their actions were in self defense. This is contrary to all other witness accounts. The CIC, taking the word of the police, proceeded to scold Kabir. He asked him why he would threaten the police, as they are government employees and that his actions could lead to his arrest. 

The Nayapara Refugee camp, holds about 10000 Rohingyas, is one camp in the area that are officially recognized by the UN. Most of the population is the result of Rohingya fleeing from Myanmar in the mid 1990's. Residents of the camp say that the students and the educated are treated particularly poorly. They are made to keep wide berths from any international delegates who visit. They say that "the government does not want the world to know about the terrible conditions that they are living in." 

There has been precedent of arrests made to refugee students for simply carrying cell phones. When speaking with residents about the beating of young Kabir, this was the general response. "Today it was him that was beaten. Tomorrow it will be me. This is not our country, so they hate us." This is an example if the hardship within one of the refugee camps that are officially recognized by the UNHCR. Their situation however, appears good in contrast to the 95 thousand plus in the "Unofficial" Kutupalong refugee camp. There, Rohingya face constant food and medical aid shortages. There are estimated to be over 100000 secretly living within the woods and the villages, struggling to survive.