In the crowded refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, where an entire generation of Rohingya children has grown up knowing little beyond barbed wire and displacement, a small heritage center is trying to preserve something many fear is slowly disappearing -- memory itself.
Inside Camp-6 in Ukhiya, the newly established “Rohang Heritage Center” is collecting old citizenship documents, historical books, political records, maps, photographs, coins and linguistic materials in an effort to preserve the Rohingyas’ history, language and cultural identity for future generations.
The initiative, created through local efforts inside the camp, is being viewed by supporters as a rare attempt to protect the identity of a persecuted people living through one of the world’s largest refugee crises.
Critics, however, see elements of political messaging intertwined with cultural preservation.
The center was established under the initiative of Camp-in-Charge Gazi Shariful Hasan with support from the office of Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mizanur Rahman and cooperation from educated Rohingya volunteers in the camp.
Officials said no international NGO funding was used.
Organizers say the project emerged from growing concern that years of displacement have disconnected many Rohingya children from their roots.
“Many Rohingya from the new generation do not know where they came from. They have only seen camp life,” said Gazi Shariful Hasan.
“This center will help them learn about their roots.”
The exhibits include Myanmar-issued citizenship documents dating from 1948 to 2017, photographs of historical mosques in Arakan, old maps and charts of the Rohingya alphabet -- materials organizers say demonstrate the community’s centuries-old historical presence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
The center also highlights records connected to ongoing genocide-related proceedings in international courts, linking the Rohingyas’ past to their continuing struggle for recognition and justice.
Mizanur Rahman, Commissioner of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission, said several initiatives have been launched to present the Rohingyas’ “glorious history” to children and youth.
He said that another photo exhibition center is being planned with support from Brac University.
According to him, these efforts are designed to ensure Rohingya youth do not lose touch with their culture after years in Bangladesh.
Mizanur Rahman added that such projects are also vital in the context of future repatriation, as they help preserve and showcase the community’s historical identity for the younger generation.
One sentence written on the center’s wall has already spread widely across social media: “We are not just refugees; we also have a history.”
That message reflects the broader purpose behind the initiative.
A reading club for Rohingya children and teenagers has also been launched under the center, where weekly discussions on Rohingya history and culture are held.
Organizers say the collection of documents and artifacts is still ongoing.
Human rights activist Tariq Hossain Mithul said preserving cultural identity is vital for communities facing long-term persecution and displacement.
“If a people lose their language, history and collective memory, their existence gradually fades away,” he said.
At the same time, some observers cautioned that cultural preservation and political messaging can sometimes overlap.
Istiaq Raihan, a teacher at Jahangirnagar University, said preserving identity should not automatically be viewed negatively if it helps protect the existence of a vulnerable community.
Officials say similar heritage initiatives are now being planned in other camps, including a photo exhibition center supported by Brac University.
As uncertainty over repatriation continues and another generation grows up in exile, the Rohang Heritage Center has become more than a museum for many Rohingya -- it is an attempt to ensure that displacement does not erase identity.
