DHAKA
\nSexual harassment remains the most pressing concern for Rohingya women and adolescents living in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh\u2019s Cox\u2019s Bazar, according to a study released Sunday. Cox\u2019s Bazar is home to around a million largely Muslim Rohingya minority, fleeing a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar\u2019s Rakhine state.
\nActionAid \u2013 one of the largest non-profits operating in the camps since the influx in 2017 \u2013 conducted 66 in-depth interviews, revealing dire challenges faced by women and adolescents. \u201cSexual harassment is the biggest concern,\u201d said Tamazer Ahmed, policy, research and advocacy manager at ActionAid. \u201cEarly marriage and polygamy have become normalized, and 93 percent of interviewees remained outside the scope of legal assistance.\u201d
\nThe participants said the violence was meted out not only by men known to their families but also members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBN) \u2013 a security force deployed by the Bangladesh government.
\nAhmed said women in the camps described a shift in the nature of threats over the years, from lack of basic amenities in the early days to more systemic abuses now.
\n\u201cNow, Rohingya women and adolescents often fall victim to molestation, rape, trafficking, poverty, educational exclusion, and even death,\u201d Ahmed said.
\nGirls aged between 6 and 15 were particularly vulnerable, with most incidents of sexual harassment occurring near latrines and bathing points.
\nThey were also vulnerable at distribution centers, hospitals, schools and madrassas, border zones and even within relatives\u2019 homes.
\n\u201cPatriarchy runs deep in the Rohingya community,\u201d said Farah Kabir, executive director at ActionAid.
\n\u201cBut the views of the Rohingya women, mostly aged 16 to 30 years, were central to the research.\u201d
\nThe women surveyed urged authorities to improve lighting in public areas, replace APBN officers with army personnel, engage men in prevention efforts, and expand access to education and livelihoods.
\nTrust in law enforcement and religious leaders remained low, with many women saying they had almost nowhere to turn when facing abuse.
\nKausar Sikdar, commanding officer of APBN, however said they were not aware of any such allegations against the force.
\nBangladesh has recorded a surge of refugees from Myanmar since early 2024, with 150,000 more Rohingya arriving.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DHAKA Sexual harassment remains the most pressing concern for Rohingya women and adolescents living in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh\u2019s Cox\u2019s Bazar, according to a study released Sunday. Cox\u2019s Bazar is home to around a million largely Muslim Rohingya minority, fleeing a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar\u2019s Rakhine state. ActionAid \u2013 one of the largest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":500316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-500293","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n