Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar – January 16, 2025: A devastating fire tore through Mosoni Rohingya Refugee Camp 26 late Tuesday night, leaving over 50 families homeless and claiming the life of a five-year-old child. This tragic incident is part of a disturbing pattern of fires, human trafficking, and abductions that have increasingly plagued the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh.
The fire, which broke out at 10:30 PM, spread rapidly through the makeshift shelters, reducing them to ashes. Families fled in panic, some unable to save even their most basic belongings. “We have already lost everything in Myanmar. Now we are losing again here, over and over,” lamented a mother who lost her home in the blaze.
Fires like these are becoming alarmingly frequent in the refugee camps. While some are attributed to accidents caused by overcrowding and unsafe living conditions, many are suspected to be deliberate acts of sabotage. This recurring devastation leaves refugees in a cycle of rebuilding their fragile lives with little to no security.
Adding to the community’s plight is the growing threat of human trafficking and abductions. Traffickers exploit the vulnerability of refugees, particularly targeting women and children for forced labor, sexual exploitation, or illegal migration. Abductions within the camps have also risen sharply, with reports of children disappearing overnight and families left in anguish.
These ongoing crises compound the trauma of a people who fled Myanmar to escape genocide. The military junta’s brutal campaign in Rakhine State led to mass killings, sexual violence, and the destruction of entire Rohingya villages. Now, as refugees in Bangladesh, the Rohingya are again subjected to suffering and insecurity.
Aid groups and activists have called for immediate intervention to address the escalating dangers in the camps. “The international community must act now to ensure safety and security for the Rohingya. Fires, trafficking, and abductions are not accidents; they are failures of protection,” said a local activist.
Despite ongoing efforts by humanitarian organizations, the needs of the Rohingya far exceed available resources. Without urgent action, the cycle of tragedy in the camps will only continue, leaving the already vulnerable Rohingya community in an ever-deepening crisis.
