The locals and the Rohingyas: Trapped with an uncertain future

Abstract

Since the 26 August 2017 influx of the Rohingya community into Bangladesh, particularly in the Cox’s Bazar district, the country has been subjected to phenomenal challenges. While the initial issues were to arrange food and accommodation for a community who had no other option but to flee their homeland, gradually the nature of challenges diversified. This article identifies the relationship between the local community and the Rohingya community in the Cox’s Bazar district in the aftermath of the influx. While doing so, it unfolds different types of tension and difficulties that emerged in the area due to the Rohingya influx. It concludes that the influx has fundamentally affected and altered the lives of the locals, which must be taken into consideration by the Government of Bangladesh in its plans for this region.