Border News Agency
Cox’s Bazar, 20 July 2025
In a historic step towards self-representation, the Rohingya community in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar has begun conducting internal civil society elections to form a formal rights body that will represent them in national and international platforms.
The election process kicked off in camps 14 to 16, with voting beginning at 9:00 AM. The initiative, organized by Rohingya community members themselves, aims to establish a 30–40-member core committee through democratic selection. This committee will serve as a civil society body with the authority to speak on behalf of the entire Rohingya population in Bangladesh.
According to the organizers, the camps have been divided into eight electoral zones. A total of 3,500 nominated Rohingya representatives are expected to vote, selecting approximately 500 councillors. These councillors will then choose the core committee members. The committee members will serve for three years, with a rotating leadership system to ensure broader participation and representation.
“This is a big step for our people,” said Mohammad Sayodullah, a Rohingya leader from Camp 16. “We want to form our own civil society so that we can raise our voice on the international stage, especially about our rights and repatriation.”
The Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mizanur Rahman confirmed that the government approved the community’s request to form the civil body. However, he clarified that the RRRC office will act only as an observer, and the election process will be led entirely by Rohingya community members.
Depending on the number of candidates, some positions may be filled through selection, while others will require formal voting. Regardless of the method, organizers are committed to ensuring transparency and broad-based participation.
The formation of this rights body marks the first time since the 2017 influx that Rohingyas in Bangladesh have organized such a large-scale internal democratic process. Currently, nearly 1.2 million Rohingyas live in the Cox’s Bazar camps, making it the world’s largest refugee settlement.
Observers say this new development could help unify the Rohingya voice on critical issues such as repatriation, education, security, and citizenship rights in Myanmar.
The election process is expected to continue across all eight zones in the coming weeks.
