At the time of writing in 2023, it was four years since the Office of the Prosecutor commenced an investigation into the situation in Bangladesh/Myanmar in accordance with Article 15(4) of the Rome Statute.Footnote ¹ It was also six years since the mass displacement of Rohingyas from Rakhine state in Myanmar, which Pre-Trial Chamber III held may amount to the crimes against humanity of deportationFootnote ² and persecution on the ground of religion and/or ethnicity.Footnote ³ According to the United Nations, around 10,000 people were killed in an alleged genocidal operation, and more than 700,000 people fled to Bangladesh.Footnote ⁴ Most of these people have found themselves in the Kutupalong-Balukhali expansion site in Cox’s Bazar – the largest and most densely populated refugee camp in the world.Footnote ⁵ Living conditions in the camp are challenging. Shelters are built from bamboo and tarpaulin and are closely packed together. Access to clean water, sanitation, healthcare, and education is limited. Residents must contend with overcrowding, outbreaks of disease, fires, monsoons, and cyclones. The COVID-19 pandemic added another layer of complexity to the crisis. The future for refugees in the camp remains uncertain, with limited prospects for safe and voluntary return to Myanmar, local integration in Bangladesh, or resettlement to a third country.

In this photo essay, Azimul Hassan, Omal Khair, and Dil Kayas – Media Fellows with Fortify Rights – have captured the hardships of camp life, but also the resilience and adaptability of the refugees living there, as well as their moments of joy and hope. These images and the photographers’ accompanying text are evidence of the ongoing impacts of the atrocities committed in Myanmar, yet at the same time they are testament to the tenacity of the human spirit and the great power of art and creative expression to transcend the physical and non-physical borders we construct between us.

15.1 The daily life, suffering and culture of Rohingya refugees

These images tell the world about the situation of the Rohingya people in the refugee camps. They not only illustrate the daily lives and suffering of Rohingya people in the camps but also Rohingya culture.

Photo 15.1 Boy on roof at sunset by Azimul Hassan

Photo 15.2 Boys playing football behind barbed wire by Azimul Hassan

Photo 15.3 Man receiving vaccination by Azimul Hassan

Photo 15.4 Woman drying fish on a net in the sun by Azimul Hassan

15.2 A window into the life of Rohingya refugees

These photos offer a window into Rohingya refugees’ lives. For example, one of the photos shows the makeshift infrastructure refugees create to navigate the challenging living conditions. One captures the everyday reality of how Rohingya refugees manage essential tasks like bathing in a constrained environment and another shows how refugees collect water from a hand pump well. I’ve also highlighted the limited play spaces available for children in the overcrowded camps, but the photo shows the incredible resilience of the kids, finding moments of joy in this challenging situation. Another photo shows how the children of Rohingya refugees are studying at a learning centre. This is against the breathtaking scenery surrounding the camp, providing viewers with a unique perspective on the refugees’ daily lives.

Photo 15.5 Girls collecting water by Azimul Hassan

Photo 15.6 Children at school by Azimul Hassan

Photo 15.7 Man showering with pot by Azimul Hassan

Photo 15.8 Boys looking out over refugee camp by Azimul Hassan

15.3 Tell the world

The images taken between 2018 and 2022 show on-the-ground reality in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. From daily life to the hardships endured, the photos tell the world about the lived experience of the Rohingya refugees.

Photo 15.9 Two men wading through flood water by Dil Kayas

Photo 15.10 Girls by a barbed wire fence by Dil Kayas

Photo 15.11 Refugees after the fire by Dil Kayas