Rohingya influx caused reduction of wages in host community: report

The Rohingya influx has caused 14.3 percent wage reduction of all labourers among the host community in Teknaf, says a United Nations Development Programme-commissioned report.

While daily wage of a labourers during pre-influx period was Tk 417, it came down to Tk 357 post-influx, it says.

The reduction in wage is 6.08 percent -- from Tk 450 to Tk 423 -- among the host community in Ukhia. This comes in contrast with daily wage of labourers in other parts of Cox’s Bazar, which has increased by 4.2 percent by this time, it adds.

Findings of the report titled “Impacts of the Rohingya Refugee Influx on Host Communities” were disseminated at a workshop at the capital’s BRAC Centre Inn, jointly arranged by Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) and UNDP.

Data for the report was collected through a survey between April and May 2018, said MA Razzaque, research director of PRI, which was commissioned to do the survey.

The report says price of coarse rice has increased to Tk 38 from pre-influx price of Tk 32 per kilogramme. About 25,000 households fell into poverty due to refugee influx, it says.

The influx also caused loss of 6,163 acres of forests while underground water level has fallen five to 15 meters, it further says.

Addressing the workshop, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said, “The problem was created by Myanmar and it can be resolved only by Myanmar.”

The minister said he is hopeful that the repatriation process will start soon.

UNDP Resident Representative Sudipto Mukherjee said Rohingya refugees should be able to lead dignified lives both at the camps and after their peaceful repatriation.

PRI Chairman Zaidi Sattar said global community must continue their pressure on the Myanmar government to take back the forcibly-displaced Rohingyas from Bangladesh, ensuring their safe, secure and dignified return. “There are no two ways about it,” he said.

Myanmar should be held accountable for what it has done to its own people, said Prof CR Abrar of Dhaka University’s International Relations department.

In that context, the issue should be taken to the International Court of Justice, he said.