Over 1.25 million Rohingyas have been living in 33 refugee camps in Ukhia and Teknaf for the last five years. Murders, kidnappings and smuggling are on the rise in these camps, and there have been incidents of shelling on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mizanur Rahman spoke to Bangla Tribune on the overall situation at the camps.
Bangla TribuneBangla Tribune: There was initiative to send the Rohingyas back home as soon as possible when they entered Bangladesh in 2017. At what stage is that initiative now?
Mizanur Rahman: The process of repatriation has slowed down. The government has been actively raising voice on the matter but the political situation has changed in Myanmar. Those who are mainly responsible for the persecution of the Rohingyas have come to power after overthrowing the democratic government. So, it is easy to imagine what is going on. Secondly, the situation in Rakhine state, where the Rohingyas live, is worse than ever.
Bangla Tribune: Does that mean the Rohingyas are going to live here? If tjat so, what are the challenges you will face?
Mizanur Rahman: There are three statutory solutions to any refugee problem — repatriation, third-party resettlement, integration into the host community. We believe in solution number one.
The reality is that repatriation did not take place. The challenge is multifaceted. The first challenge is Bangladesh is a populous county and it is not a developed nation.
Keeping 1.1 million people in a small space is creating various socio-political problems here. The recent law and order situation in the camps prove that the worsening environment is not limited to Ukhia, Teknaf or Cox's Bazar.
Bangla Tribune: When we go to the camps, we find that a large part of the population is comprised of teenagers and young people and they have no work there. Do you think such a large population of youth can pose any threat?
Mizanur Rahman: Of course. Firstly, whether they will be employed is a matter of political decision. If I give them employment, employment means - he will earn. But he is a foreigner…the youth of my country are drowning in despair as they are unable to find work.
On the other hand, this is what I call a double-edged sword. These young people are living in trauma. They have seen with their own eyes the torture that took place in Myanmar. They stay in the camp with such a trauma and it is a fertile ground for radicalism and militancy. Therefore, they can carryout any criminal activities.
Bangla Tribune: Generally no SIM card is legally allowed in the camp. But everyone has a mobile phone there. How is that possible?
Mizanur Rahman: These were not provided to them officially. These are registered under names of Bangladeshi nationals. Some also use SIM cards registered under Myanmar.
The government is currently considering whether any single operator SIM card could be provided to them. If the Rohingyas get a SIM card against their Progress ID, some kind of monitoring will be possible.
Bangla Tribune: How many Rohingyas are there in the camps? Those who are listed, are they even living in the camps?
Mizanur Rahman: Surveys are not done regularly. That's not even realistic. But against their enlistment they each take ration. Therefore it is assumed that they exist. In reality many of them work outside.
Bangla Tribune: On one hand the government is thinking whether to give them a work permit and on the other they have already entered the market. What is your take on the matter?
Mizanur Rahman: It is a matter of political decision…if their language was different, then it could have been a different scenario.
By giving permission to work, you are integrating them to the society which will hamper the repatriation and that is what Myanmar wants.
Bangla Tribune: If the Rohingyas go back to their homeland they will not even recognize their places. It has been 6 years since the Rohingyas came to Bangladesh. Is repatriation becoming impossible?
Mizanur Rahman: The lands (that belonged to the Rohingyas) have already been bulldozed and their classes changed, some villages and areas have been renamed. They will not recognize the area when they return home. As a result, it will be easy to prove that they are not Rohingyas. There is also the issue of IDP camps. Those who were kept there have not yet returned.
Instead, 10/12 people escape from there every day. If the IDP camp issue is not solved, there will be no repatriation.
Bangla Tribune: What should Bangladesh do in that case?
Mizanur Rahman: There is nothing new to do apart from maintaining contact with the Myanmar government. We have always sought bilateral solutions.
Bangla Tribune: There are always reports of unrest in the camps. But in the last few months these reports have come up quite frequently. How many extremist groups are active there?
Mizanur Rahman: How many names have I heard? There are Arsa, Munna Group, Nabi Hussain, Salman Shah, RSO and Islamic Mahaj. In total there can be 12 to 15 groups.
We define people based on guesswork without knowing them which can be suicidal. In my opinion, they have no ideals, no geopolitical knowledge, only personal and group desires. Most of them went through torture. They will return - it does not seem to appear in their minds. What they are doing to their own people, they don't seem to care about saving their own country.
Bangla Tribune: So what is going to happen?
Mizanur Rahman: Among those who have gone abroad, if they raise their voice for a solution from there, then something can happen. Generation after generation, deprived of education, deprived of social services. It is part of the process of genocide. All the episodes that precede the genocide are present here.