Reza Habib is a research student in the Doctoral School of Sociology at National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia. His main research interests are migration, refugees, gender, and community media. He holds an MPhil degree in Anthropology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Phone: +8801797841178
The Journal of Social Policy Studies , 21 (2), 347-360. , 2023
Half of all refugees in Bangladesh are Rohingya children, who are not allowed to receive educatio... more Half of all refugees in Bangladesh are Rohingya children, who are not allowed to receive education in government institutions, although education is a fundamental right of all children, regardless of their social status. Since 2017, the Government of Bangladesh, UNICEF and Save the Children International have been running a non-formal education program for Rohingya refugee children. This initiative is being implemented by local NGO partners. The purpose of this study is to examine the policy and infrastructural mechanisms for the implementation process of this initiative and determine how NGOs can influence the inclusion of Rohingya children in the education system. We conducted a qualitative study in Ukhia and Teknaf blocks of Cox's Bazar. Between August 2020 and January 2021, we conducted 30 in-depth interviews with Rohingya parents and children, teachers, government officials, a UNICEF representative and NGO staff, and collected material from a variety of secondary sources. We believe that the program has created a real road map. Through discussion, dialogue and resilience, local and global NGOs and the Rohingya people have negotiated with the government an “inclusive” space to expand education. Although more initiatives are required to ensure inclusive education in the current emergency. The scoping review, analysis of the program and data collected, helps to understand the challenges faced by countries such as Bangladesh in addressing the inclusion of refugee children in the education system in the South Asian context. The findings of the study can be used by policymakers to develop inclusive and reflective educational policies for refugee children.
More than 1 million Rohingya have fled Myanmar to live in Bangladesh, mostly in Cox's Bazar distr... more More than 1 million Rohingya have fled Myanmar to live in Bangladesh, mostly in Cox's Bazar district. The government of Bangladesh has been praised worldwide for sheltering them, but this enormous influx has strained its limited resources. As the host communities struggle with the Rohingya for control over, and access to, the scarce natural resources on which they depend for their livelihood-land, water, agriculture and forests-tension and conflict arises. The host community members perceive that the government and aid agencies prioritise the Rohingya over them in allocating resources, exacerbating their resentment. Both the locals and the Rohingya are marginalised, and therefore there is a need to focus on refugee-host community resource-based conflicts and related issues before designing any policy catering to the refugees.
More than a million Rohingya have fled Myanmar to live in Bangladesh, mostly in Cox’s Bazar distr... more More than a million Rohingya have fled Myanmar to live in Bangladesh, mostly in Cox’s Bazar district. The government has been praised worldwide for sheltering them, but this enormous influx has strained its limited resources. As the host communities struggle with the Rohingya for control over and access to the scarce natural resources they depend on for they're livelihood — land, water, agriculture, and forests — tension and conflict arise. The host community members perceive that the government and aid agencies prioritize the Rohingya over the host communities in allocating resources, exacerbating they're resentment. I argue that although both the locals and the Rohingya are poor and marginalized, as citizens, the locals have a stronger claim to environmental citizenship and rights to state resources. Any ecological policies taken towards the safeguarding of resource usage rights of the Rohingyas should also be inclusive and should give equal consideration to the local host community members.
Despite being a resource-scarce country, Bangladesh hosts a million Rohingya refugees on humanita... more Despite being a resource-scarce country, Bangladesh hosts a million Rohingya refugees on humanitarian grounds and offers them protection, and shelter. How does their presence affect the provision of resources, services, and access for both residents and refugees? I analyze the conflict and competition over limited resources. I argue that the arrival of the Rohingyas has caused significant distress to the host community in Cox's Bazar district, but there is an inadequate reflection on their distress. By examining the locals' relationships with the refugees through field engagements, I argue their presence leads to conflict, in three main areas: public service provision, economic resources, and environmental resources.
The Journal of Social Policy Studies , 21 (2), 347-360. , 2023
Half of all refugees in Bangladesh are Rohingya children, who are not allowed to receive educatio... more Half of all refugees in Bangladesh are Rohingya children, who are not allowed to receive education in government institutions, although education is a fundamental right of all children, regardless of their social status. Since 2017, the Government of Bangladesh, UNICEF and Save the Children International have been running a non-formal education program for Rohingya refugee children. This initiative is being implemented by local NGO partners. The purpose of this study is to examine the policy and infrastructural mechanisms for the implementation process of this initiative and determine how NGOs can influence the inclusion of Rohingya children in the education system. We conducted a qualitative study in Ukhia and Teknaf blocks of Cox's Bazar. Between August 2020 and January 2021, we conducted 30 in-depth interviews with Rohingya parents and children, teachers, government officials, a UNICEF representative and NGO staff, and collected material from a variety of secondary sources. We believe that the program has created a real road map. Through discussion, dialogue and resilience, local and global NGOs and the Rohingya people have negotiated with the government an “inclusive” space to expand education. Although more initiatives are required to ensure inclusive education in the current emergency. The scoping review, analysis of the program and data collected, helps to understand the challenges faced by countries such as Bangladesh in addressing the inclusion of refugee children in the education system in the South Asian context. The findings of the study can be used by policymakers to develop inclusive and reflective educational policies for refugee children.
More than 1 million Rohingya have fled Myanmar to live in Bangladesh, mostly in Cox's Bazar distr... more More than 1 million Rohingya have fled Myanmar to live in Bangladesh, mostly in Cox's Bazar district. The government of Bangladesh has been praised worldwide for sheltering them, but this enormous influx has strained its limited resources. As the host communities struggle with the Rohingya for control over, and access to, the scarce natural resources on which they depend for their livelihood-land, water, agriculture and forests-tension and conflict arises. The host community members perceive that the government and aid agencies prioritise the Rohingya over them in allocating resources, exacerbating their resentment. Both the locals and the Rohingya are marginalised, and therefore there is a need to focus on refugee-host community resource-based conflicts and related issues before designing any policy catering to the refugees.
More than a million Rohingya have fled Myanmar to live in Bangladesh, mostly in Cox’s Bazar distr... more More than a million Rohingya have fled Myanmar to live in Bangladesh, mostly in Cox’s Bazar district. The government has been praised worldwide for sheltering them, but this enormous influx has strained its limited resources. As the host communities struggle with the Rohingya for control over and access to the scarce natural resources they depend on for they're livelihood — land, water, agriculture, and forests — tension and conflict arise. The host community members perceive that the government and aid agencies prioritize the Rohingya over the host communities in allocating resources, exacerbating they're resentment. I argue that although both the locals and the Rohingya are poor and marginalized, as citizens, the locals have a stronger claim to environmental citizenship and rights to state resources. Any ecological policies taken towards the safeguarding of resource usage rights of the Rohingyas should also be inclusive and should give equal consideration to the local host community members.
Despite being a resource-scarce country, Bangladesh hosts a million Rohingya refugees on humanita... more Despite being a resource-scarce country, Bangladesh hosts a million Rohingya refugees on humanitarian grounds and offers them protection, and shelter. How does their presence affect the provision of resources, services, and access for both residents and refugees? I analyze the conflict and competition over limited resources. I argue that the arrival of the Rohingyas has caused significant distress to the host community in Cox's Bazar district, but there is an inadequate reflection on their distress. By examining the locals' relationships with the refugees through field engagements, I argue their presence leads to conflict, in three main areas: public service provision, economic resources, and environmental resources.
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