Bangladesh: 20 images show the daily lives of three Rohingya photographers

15/02/2024

Bangladesh

Sadeka, 18, is an orphan who grapples with the hardships of life in the camps supported only by her elder sister. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023 © Sahat Zia Hero

Since then, these three photographers have documented their daily lives in the biggest refugee camp in the world, in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district, where this Muslim minority group found refuge and where teams from Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provide medical care.

Seven years after their exile, Rohingyatographer – a collective of Rohingya photographers to which they belong and with which Doctors Without Borders worked to produce this photo report – continue to witness and document the desperate living conditions Rohingya refugees are facing within the camps in Cox’s Bazar.

Abul, a volunteer NGO worker and father of four, rises early to get ready for work. With cases of dengue fever on the rise in the camps, he encourages his family to take precautions by using mosquito nets. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ro Yassin Abdumonab

Muhammad combs his hair before meeting with friends to take a course organised by NGOs. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ro Yassin Abdumonab

Rohingya refugees walk down a street in the camp, which they are not allowed to leave. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ro Yassin Abdumonab

A Rohingya couple carry their sick child through the camp to find a doctor. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Sahat Zia Hero

Rahman provides barber services for the community inside the refugee camps. Rohingya refugees cannot legally work in Bangladesh. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ro Yassin Abdumonab

Mohammad carries his sick grandson back from the health centre. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Sahat Zia Hero

Rohingya refugees queue to collect water before Friday prayers. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Sahat Zia Hero

Aziz digs in a canal to improve drainage near his shelter. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Sahat Zia Hero

Cows graze on a rubbish dump in one of the camps for Rohingya refugees. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ro Yassin Abdumonab

Asofa, a Rohingya girl, poses in a traditional outfit. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Sahat Zia Hero

Sawmira, 12, holds up one of her drawings. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ishrat Bibi

Muhammad, who is learning Arabic, does his homework. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ro Yassin Abdumonab

Ayesha, 12, poses with tanaka, a traditional cosmetic, on her face. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ishrat Bibi

Nur Mohammad, 79, crafts chicken coops out of bamboo. A former soldier, he struggles to earn enough money to make up for inadequate food rations and feed his family of six. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ishrat Bibi

Zainura, 44, crafts fishing nets to earn money and provide food for her family. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ishrat Bibi

A child sleeps in a cradle suspended from the roof of a shelter in one of the camps. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ro Yassin Abdumonab

In the evenings, the camps' narrow streets are full of children, a stark reminder of the lack of dedicated play spaces. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Sahat Zia Hero

Rohingya refugee Zahida lives alone with her child in one of the camps after her husband abandoned them. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Sahat Zia Hero

Rohingya refugees meet up and talk in the streets of the camps. Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, October 2023. © Ro Yassin Abdumonab

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