Social Cohesion and Integration of Rohingyas in the Host Community in Bangladesh

Given the influx of nearly a million Rohingya refugees into the Cox’s Bazar region of Bangladesh in 2017, it was inevitable that the demographics and social makeup of the area should change. The refugee population is now more than double that of the host community. Though efforts for repatriation are ongoing, the continued lack of success in that regard leads to the conclusion that long-term initiatives for improving social cohesion between the Rohingya and the Bangladeshi host community are required. We begin by constructing a definition of social cohesion in the context of the Rohingya crisis, first sketching out several frameworks from the literature before homing in on the specific region at hand. Next, a careful examination is performed of the many factors which adversely affect social cohesion in Cox’s Bazar today, as it is only through an understanding of these factors that a path forward can be discovered. It is doubly important to emphasize social cohesion in the area where they live, since the current repatriation initiative is in limbo and nobody knows when such a large population of Rohingyas would be able to return to Rakhine. Finally, we draw upon global examples as well as expectations from international bodies like the UN in suggesting ways that the integration of the Rohingyas can be achieved using long-term strategic planning.