Finding a durable solution to Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee problem: Policies, prospects and politics
| Author | Syeda Rozana Rashid |
| DOI | 10.1177/2057891119883700 |
| Published date | 01 June 2020 |
| Date | 01 June 2020 |
| Subject Matter | Research articles |
Research article
Finding a durable solution
to Bangladesh’s Rohingya
refugee problem: Policies,
prospects and politics
Syeda Rozana Rashid
Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Abstract
The articleexamines the traditional durablesolutions to resolvingthe problem of the Rohingyaswho
crossed the Myanmar border during 2017–2018 and took refuge in Bangladesh. The article analyses
the attitudes and behaviour of displaced Rohingyas and of Bangladesh, Myanmar and traditional set-
tlement countries, as well as the hidden forces,including ethnoreligiousfactors, geo-strategic factors
and public opinion, which impact the Rohingyas. It argues that finding durable solutions through
repatriation,integration or resettlementof Rohingya refugees in theirhome, host and third countries
respectively is almost unachievable. In line with the recent conceptualization of durable solutions by
academics and practitioners, a context-specific solution is recommended for Rohingyas, combining
nationalrestoration of theircivil and political rightsin Myanmar, politicaland economic burden-sharing
by prosperous countries and capacity-building of refugees to influence their own futures.
Keywords
Myanmar, refugee, Rohingya
Introduction
Bangladesh witnessed one of the largest refugee flows in the world during 2017–2018, when more
than 700,000 Rohingya men, women and children crossed the Bangladesh–Myanmar border to
escape ethnic cleansing and genocide by the Myanmar security forces. Since the inception of the
crisis in August 2018, Bangladesh has followed multifaceted diplomatic efforts to find a potential
solution to the crisis. It started bi-lateral diplomac y to persuade the Myanmar government to
repatriate the Rohingyas. In January 2018, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on
“Physical Arrangement”, which stipulated that the repatriation will be completed within two years
Corresponding author:
Syeda Rozana Rashid, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.
Email: srr21rozana@gmail.com, rozana@du.ac.bd
Asian Journal of Comparative Politics
2020, Vol. 5(2) 174–189
ªThe Author(s) 2019
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/2057891119883700
journals.sagepub.com/home/acp
(Dhaka Tribune, 2018b). However, the situation in Northern Arakan was not conducive to start
repatriation. To find justice and a solution, Bangladesh attempted to put diplomatic pressure on
Myanmar through China (Daily Star, 2017). It took the issue to different international forums such
as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC),
the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the
Organization of African Countries (OIC). Despite the grievous nature of the crimes inflicted upon
the Rohingyas, the international community’s response was timid, partisan and mostly limited to
verbal condemnations. Inside Myanmar, the democratic leader and noble laureate Suu Kye failed
to condemn and resist the brutal atrocities of her military and subscribed to a false perspective of
the genocide. As a result, the Myanmar government remained unchanged on its position regarding
exclusion of Rohingyas from Burmese citizenship and their expulsion from Myanmar, indicating a
grim future of Rohingya repatriation.
As of March 2019, Bangladesh was hosting 913,080 Rohingya refugees in the south-eastern
regions of Ukhiya, Teknaf and Cox’s Bazar. Around 20%of these refugees arrived in Bangladesh
years ago or were born here (UNHCR, 2019). While Bangladesh’s response to the plight of the
Rohingyas proved its generosity, respect towards human rights and state responsibilities, chal-
lenges remain ahead about how to help these people find a lasting solution, especially when a
protracted situation of displacement is alre ady evident and a significant segment of them are
protracted refugees. Questions arise whether Bangladesh’s policies accord with the international
refugee regime’s traditional durable solutions packages, i.e. voluntary repatriation, local integra-
tion or third-country resettl ement. It is also apt to ask whether o ne or more of these “ideal”
solutions can be applied to the Rohingya crisis.
Taking the above background into consideration, this article examines the prospects of a lasting
solution for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Essentially, it adopts a rights-based approach
and framework to understand the state policies which often reflect the sovereign interest beyond
human rights and humanitarian considerations. Analysing the behaviour and attitude of host, home
and the traditional settlement states, as well as that of refugees, the article argues that a coordinated
and context-specific durable solution should be found for the Rohingya refugees.
The article conducted a secondary analysis of data an d information collected from journal
articles, books, conference articles and newspaper articles. For facts and figures the article relies
on the official websites and published reports of international organizations working with the
refugees. In analysing the attitude of different actors, the author refers to her past studies as well
as the current studies carried out by academics and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The article is organised in five sections. The first section after the introduction presents the
conceptual and analytical framework, which highlights the traditional and new approaches and
variables of durable solution. The next section traces Bangladesh’s policies towards Rohingya
refugees since the 1970s. The extent to which Rohingya refugees can be provided with a safe,
dignified andsustained solution is analysed in the fourthsection by examining the differentvariables
of a lasting solution. Based on the findings and analysis, the last section offers recommendations.
Conceptual and analytical framework of a durable solution
The traditional approaches to a durable solution
A durable solution is a process whereby the refugees would become self-sufficient and able to
support themselves, enabling them to integrate and participate fully in the social and economic life
Rashid 175
To continue reading
Request your trial