Banned from Bangladesh schools, Rohingya children are exposed to extremism in madrasas
- About 740,000 Muslim Rohingya fled into the country during a 2017 crackdown by Myanmar’s military but are denied access to schools
- Some madrasas are run by the hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam, which has a history of violent protests in Muslim-majority Bangladesh
But while their language and culture are similar to people in southeastern Bangladesh, authorities regard the Rohingya as temporary guests and their children are denied access to local schools, raising fears of a “lost generation”.
Many Rohingya children had managed to slip through the net until earlier this year when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government cracked down, ordering schools to expel them.
Lucky Akter, 15, lost her spot at Hnila village school, where almost a third of her class were from refugee camps. She now has nothing to do but help her mother with chores.
“I wanted to be a doctor, but I don’t think it will be possible,” she said, breaking down in tears.
Rights groups have criticised the government’s policy, and charities and the UN children’s agency Unicef have set up some 1,800 makeshift facilities in the camps, schooling around 180,000 children – but only to primary level.
