A photography exhibition documenting the Rohingyas titled The Disowned and the Denied by acclaimed photographer Saiful Huq Omi is being showcased at the Dhaka Art Center from February 24 to 26. A panel discussion on The Human Rights of Stateless Rohingya in Bangladesh was held on the opening day of the exhibition in the presence of distinguished speakers including Saiful Huq Omi, academic Shapnan Adnan, and Stina Ljungdell, UNHCR Representative, Bangladesh. In the discussion, the speakers spoke about the challenges regarding the statelessness, equality, non-discrimination and human rights protection of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh and beyond.
The stateless Rohingyas are one of the most vulnerable minorities in the world. For decades, the Burmese military junta has refused to recognise them as a distinct Muslim ethnic minority living in western Burma. Internationally, their story is underreported and they have travelled far and wide, seeking refuge and security. Bangladesh is a key destination for this displaced group.
Saiful Huq Omi photographed the lives of these refugees in Bangladeshi camps, where conditions are often squalid and medical care is inadequate. Omi also followed the lives of Rohingyas who had settled in the UK, Malaysia and beyond to capture how they had adapted to their new lives.
Omi started documenting the Rohingyas in Bangladesh in early 2009 with the goal of showing the world that the minority Rohingyas are struggling for existence. Omi shares his experience of the photographic project with Dhaka Tribune: “The situation deteriorated after I started my project. When large-scale state sponsored violence broke out in Myanmar in 2012 and 2013, it resulted in an increasing number of new arrivals of refugees in Bangladesh, where they also faced human rights challenges. I faced several risks and obstacles, including the state’s threat and at some point, risking my life in critical situations.”
The photographer turned human rights activist said: “I am trying to demonstrate to the world that the Rohingya problem is not only confined to a handful of societies. It is the duty of the rest of the world as responsible global citizens to find a place for these unfortunate displaced individuals.”
At present, thirty thousand Rohingyas are living in the refugee camps. It is reported that another half a million of them are living in unbearable conditions outside the camps, mainly in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. The Rohingyas are now a displaced minority and are spread across India, Pakistan, Australia, Malaysia, the UK and EU, and in many other countries of the Middle East.