With the Rohingya camp in Ukhiya suffering from a second fire in the span of a single week, it is high time that both our government and indeed the international community closely evaluated matters and faced some hard truths.
Aside from making sure that the refugees are as safe as they can be, this incident is yet another reminder that, no matter what Bangladesh can do, anything aside from repatriation would be a stop-gap solution that does nothing to ensure the safety of the million plus refugees currently within our borders.
In the short term, any and all accidents need to be properly investigated, given the density of the camps even the slightest mishap can have devastating consequences for the safety of the refugees. Bangladesh has been housing around 1.1 million Rohingya refugees since their last mass exodus almost six years ago, and it is becoming abundantly clear that safety is now a major concern for.
Which is why nothing less than the safe, secure, and voluntary repatriation of the refugees will be acceptable. As such, it behooves the international community to finally do the needful and pressure Myanmar to expedite the repatriation process.
Furthermore, given just how dire the situation is becoming in the camps, our international partners also have a duty to increase the amount of financial assistance. Bangladesh has been fighting this battle valiantly, but we are not a rich nation. With the recent spate of accidents, it is now incredibly apparent that more support will be required.
Repatriation is the only way out for the Rohingya refugees to reclaim their dignity, but, for now, our duty to protect them still remains as long as they are within our borders.
