TITLE:
Humanitarianism and National Security Conundrum: A Systematic Review on Bangladesh’s Refugee Policy Dilemma, More Owes to Displaced Rohingyas
AUTHORS:
Shah Jahan Shuvo, Jamal Uddin, Mahbbat Ali
KEYWORDS:
Refugee Policy, Refugee Management, Policy Dilemma, Rohingya, Genocide, National Security
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.12 No.10,
October
30,
2024
ABSTRACT: This systematic review studies how the absence of a concrete policy could seriously threaten a refugee-prone country as the global displaced population has significantly increased. This study focuses explicitly on Bangladesh’s refugee policy dilemma regarding the displaced Rohingya population (DRP). After the 2017 genocide and mass displacement in Myanmar, over a million DRPs live in Bangladesh with uncertainty since the host country is unwilling to provide them with refugee status and the impossibility of returning to their home in Rakhine due to the intensified war situation. Bangladesh has undoubtedly proved its sincerity and humanitarianism by opening the border for the persecuted DRPs, providing them with primary care and shelter. However, procrastination in formulating any concrete policy for determining management strategy and the future of these additional people in an overpopulated country undermines Bangladesh’s efforts and ultimately endangers its national security. The policy gap was reflected in Bangladesh’s failure to implement various major initiatives of repatriation and relocation. Bangladesh, one of the top 10 refugee-hosting countries, has no comprehensive refugee or related policies. This study aims to comprehensively document and review how Bangladesh’s policy dilemma not only deprives Rohingya refugees but also jeopardizes the country’s refugee management programs, which ultimately pose a threat to national security. This study attempts to develop some policy suggestions upon reviewing the existing literature, which could serve as a foundational guideline for refugee management in Bangladesh and ensure human rights-related issues for the DRPs. This study analyzes existing refugee policy-related scholarly articles and scrutinizes some gray articles to understand refugee policies and best practices for management. The Rohingya issue became more complicated as the various infighting minority groups announced establishing their government in Myanmar, renouncing any affiliation with the ruling Army administration. At this stage, Bangladesh discovered itself under a double-edged sword of maintaining communication with both parties. So, this study found that Bangladesh could be an example of how a policy dilemma ultimately leads a country to a national security concern. 2017’s genocide and its aftermath incidents made the Myanmar crisis worse, which also made Bangladesh’s repatriation-only solution more complex.