United News of Bangladesh

Around five lakh residents of Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas in Cox’s Bazar have been facing humanitarian and security-related challenges for the last eight years as more than 13 lakh displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar continue to reside in 33 camps of the two upazilas. Today (August 25), marks the 8th anniversary since the start of the military’s crimes against humanity and acts of genocide that forced Rohingyas to flee to Bangladesh. Locals said their prolonged presence in the world’s largest refugee camp has made their lives extremely difficult with added strains on land, resources, security and livelihoods but they have not seen any visible progress about their repatriation to their own land. The fear of growing crimes inside and outside the camps has also become a constant concern, they said. Kutupalong village in Ukhiya, now widely known both at home and abroad, has become a vast stretch of refugee camps where nothing but camps are visible as far as the eye can see. According to official data, the total population of Ukhiya and Teknaf is a little over 5 lakh while more than 13 lakh Rohingyas have taken shelter there since 2017 when a brutal military crackdown forced them to flee Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Locals alleged that the excessive population pressure has made it almost impossible for them to live safely. Prof Yunus joins 'Stakeholders’ Dialogue' on Rohingya crisis in Cox’s Bazar