Rohingya Massive Exodus into Cox’s Bazar Grows Security Concern: Impacts over Tourism Industry of Bangladesh

Muhammad Tanbirul Islam

Research Intern of Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), Dhaka, Bangladesh.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6347-9686

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20448/journal.500.2020.73.236.249

Keywords: Rohingya exodus, Security, Environmental cost, Tourism, Economy, Criminal Psychology, Relative deprivation.


Abstract

Cox’s Bazar, the largest sea beach of the world has reached peak regarding national revenue generation as well as employment creation for Bangladesh, expecting to be a new economic hub. In 2019 it has contributed 4.4% of national GDP. Therefore, the recent development of Rohingya mass exodus into Cox’s Bazar and the increasing number of crimes have become a matter of grave concern to tourists, businessman as well as other associated stakeholders of this sector. The article mainly attempted to figure out different forms of traditional and nontraditional security threat to Cox’s Bazar due to Rohingyas. It has found some traditional security threat created by Rohingyas including murder, rape, gang activities, robbery, hijack, abduction, human trafficking, drug trafficking and etc. The article also found some spot crime on beach like stealing, snatching and sweeping the accessories and luggage of tourist by Rohingya youth. It has also given special focus on non-traditional security threat caused by Rohingyas including environmental disaster, and health risks of local community. It figured out the massive settlement of Rohingyas at green and hilly land space that resultantly cleared a large forest area. Some diseases such as Diphtheria, Diarrhea, AIDS have been already broken out as the heath management collapses due to overpressure of Rohingya cases. Tourist arrivals consequently have been declining at alarming rate in Cox’s Bazar than last year in 2018. The revenue of tourism industry has also been diminishing that indicates the decline of its contribution to national GDP.

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