Half a Decade of the Rohingya Refugee Crisis: The Threats to Peace and Sustainability in Bangladesh

On August 24, 2023, the Rohingya refugees marked six years since entering Bangladesh after facing a renewed cycle of genocide in the Rakhine state by the Myanmar military government. However, there is little hope for them to return to their homeland. Additionally, numerous issues such as funding crises, effects on the local community e.g., economic and social dilemmas, communal conflicts, security concerns, turf wars and environmental impacts are increasing threats to peace and sustainability. This chapter investigates the causes and consequences of rising threats to peace and sustainability for host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh due to the Rohingya refugee crisis. Moreover, it discusses the possible way forwards. The study systematically reviewed existing literature based on Scopus and Google Scholar online databases and finally examined 14 research articles and book chapters. Moreover, policy documents, media contents, and online sources are used for it. Peace and sustainability issues i.e., social, environmental and economic crises are analyzed thematically. The results illustrate that refugee crisis is a major concern that could contribute to threats to peace, and sustainability in the southeastern region, where many indigenous communities live with limited resources while the ecosystem is already under stress. International support, alongside the Myanmar government, is crucial for ensuring peaceful repatriation and livelihoods for the Rohingya people. If these challenges are not addressed soon, the cascading effects could be much more severe than they appear at present.