Young Voices: Bangladeshi Students Bring Rohingya Refugee Stories to Life
Bangladesh is home to 1.2 million Rohingya refugees. They have lived in the country for nine years. Many Bangladeshi university students are now helping to share their stories. These students use art and film to show the human side of the crisis.
Ankon Roy is a student at Daffodil International University (DIU). He visited Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. He saw a young man there. This man was studying to become a doctor. Ankon felt this experience showed true human spirit.
Ankon’s team won an award at the Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival (DIMFF). The festival partners with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. It also works with the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB). Ankon said his camp visit helped him see beyond news headlines.
This year, DIU students started an art project. It is called “Brushstrokes of Belonging.” They created it with UNHCR. The project marked World Refugee Day on June 20. It honored people forced to flee their homes. Students from across Bangladesh made paintings, collages, and digital art. They showed refugee experiences.
Bangladesh was the first country to welcome Rohingya refugees. But many students know little about their lives. The art project invited students to learn more. Over 300 students from 35 universities joined. They attended sessions on ethical storytelling. They learned about reasons people become refugees and life in camps.
Ankon’s artwork showed children playing inside a camp. He did not show them as victims. He showed them simply as children. He believes that displacement does not take away people’s dignity or hope.
Rushad Tanzeem created a piece that came in third place. She imagined a Rohingya man playing his mandolin. She titled her artwork “Morning Will Come.” She said it was an act of faith for a better future.
UNHCR also partners with ULAB for the DIMFF’s “Forced to Flee” category. This provides training for students. They learn about the Rohingya crisis. They also learn how to tell stories in a fair way.
Samiha Hyder Kongka is a student at Dhaka University. She noted that the crisis does not get much attention. Her team’s film focused on a Rohingya child’s view. It ended with a message of hope.
Another student, Taslima Bushra Islam Jeem, believes students have a duty. She said they must speak for the Rohingya. They must raise awareness for them.
The winning DIMFF team will visit the Rohingya camps. This gives them a chance to understand the crisis better. A workshop instructor said their goal is to tell human stories.
The “Brushstrokes of Belonging” project aims to change common ideas about refugees. It helps students share important messages. The crisis continues for 1.2 million Rohingya refugees. These student efforts help many people understand their lives.
