Refugee to Settler: A Study on Rohingya Migration in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar

Authors: Shahadat Hossain

Abstract:

The United Nations (UN) declared Rohingya as the most oppressed nation in the world. The Rohingya's native place is Arakan, Myanmar, which is newly named Rakhine. The Rohingya have been forcibly migrated to Bangladesh, Malaysia, and other states for settlement for many years. Bangladesh has not been able to handle the pressure of Rohingya refugees, although it has been hosting Rohingya refugees for multiple decades. As a result, Rohingya refugees have been mixed with the local population. Some of the Rohingya people of Arakan already became citizens of Bangladesh after migrating to Bangladesh. The Rohingya have become Bangladeshis through intermarriage, kinship, labour, and business partnerships. Rohingya people preferred to settle in Bangladesh due to cultural, religious, and linguistic similarities. Some of the Rohingyas get an advantage also from the domestic political and voting equation of Bangladesh. This research tried to explore how the Rohingyas settled in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar and became one of the locals. The research sought to focus on their advantage, difficulties, and narrative.

Keywords: Rohingya, refugee, Bangladesh, Rohingya settlement