Ms. Sarah Cooke, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh visited the on-going activities of Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) at the Multi-Purpose Community Center, Rajapalong Union, Ukhiya in Cox’s Bazar on December 11, 2024. She was accompanied by a delegation of dignitaries from the British High Commission, Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), and humanitarian agencies including IRC, NRC and DRC. Mr. Jishu Barua, Assistant Director, Rohingya Response Program of YPSA welcomed the visiting British High Commissioner and her team.
The prime objective of her visit was to show the UK’s commitment to supporting Rohingya refugees and host communities and to strengthen UK-Bangladesh ties. She visited operations in the Rohingya camps and host community to physically observe how these are going on and to explore more scopes for more collaboration in the protracted response activities in the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar.
However, during her visit, she held a consultation meeting with the community people in Cox’s Bazar at the YPSA’s Multi-Purpose Community Center. Community people of different strata spontaneously participated in the meeting who included the religious leaders, union parishad members, Standing Committee Members (Family Dispute Committee), community leaders, youths and high school and primary school teachers of the local areas.
The participants of the host community shared their views about the effects of the Rohingya influx on their socio-economic condition as well as on how to improve the situation. They shared increasing economic strain, rising living costs, and intensifying job competition which have disrupted peace and security, loss of income generating opportunities, and heightened tensions, and led to rising crime and gender-based violence. Also, they mentioned some burning challenges which they are currently facing, including loss of labour market, human trafficking, abduction, kidnapping in the camps, extra marital affairs between the Rohingya and host community people.
Ms. Sarah Cooke said, “The Uk has been the second biggest donor in the development of Bangladesh particularly in the Rohingya response program since 2017. We have been working for the betterment of both the host and Rohingya communities here. Still, there are so many things to do. We will definitely continue our support to Bangladesh for the improved lives of the Rohingya and host communities.”
The British High Commissioner thanked all the participants for honestly sharing the challenges and opportunities due to the Rohingya influx. She also thanked the management of YPSA for arranging such an insightful meeting with the stakeholders which has helped her gain a real overview of the community scenario of the post Rohingya influx. She highly appreciated the on-going activities of YPSA in Cox’s Bazar.
