The entire nation is still reeling from the two devastating explosions that claimed several lives in Sitakunda and the capital city of Dhaka as we hear of yet another fire -- this time the all-too-familiar location of the Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar.
The latest fire has left about 12,000 people homeless, where 2,000 houses were razed along with damaging 90 critical facilities, including hospitals.
Much as we editorialized just yesterday, we are once again forced to ask: How many more times?
To learn that between January 2021 and December 2022, there were 222 fire incidents in the Rohingya camps is not just frightening, but simply unacceptable.
It has been clear from the very beginning that the solution to hosting the Rohingya within our borders was never feasible for the long run; despite Bangladesh's incredible humanitarian gesture that has rightfully earned plaudits across the globe, hosting the now over million Rohingya in Cox's Bazar is becoming more and more difficult.
The conditions in these camps are just not fit for human habitat over such prolonged durations, and the fires and other catastrophes that we continue to see with alarming frequency are just the tip of the iceberg of issues that exist.
Ultimately, while we will continue to do our duty to try and give the Rohingya a safe space, incidents like this fire tragedy should be a wake-up call to the greater international powers to make some meaningful contributions to accelerate the repatriation of these people.
The Rohingya have suffered and continue to suffer -- all because of the callousness of the Myanmar regime who continue to shirk their responsibility and do the right thing. This cannot continue any longer.
