Social cohesion and reconciliation between the Rohingya and host communities in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

Abstract

Purpose – The Rohingyas are forcefully displaced from Myanmar and sheltered in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh. They have outnumbered the local people indicating a critical condition of their living situation after the year 2017 influx. The aim of this paper is to present how coexistence has impacted social cohesion and reconciliation among different groups of Rohingyas and host communities. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 903 households through a multistage stratified random sampling. Social cohesion and reconciliation (SCORE) index was measured as a multifaceted theoretical construct based on the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Findings – The findings of this study are inclined toward the miracle of social cohesion and reconciliation between the Rohingya and host communities. Also, it is revealed that youth, males and Rohingyas who came before the year 2017 influx are more cohesive. In the host or local community, people having lower income, less education and involvement with the informal sector are revealed as less cohesive. Practical implications – This study suggests vocational training as a short-term, cash-for-work as a mid-term and repatriation, proper identity, and protection services as long-term strategic plans to make the two communities more cohesive. Originality/value – This study focuses on the SCORE indexes with a quantitative format, applying a second-order factor model.

Keywords

• Rohingya
• Social cohesion
• Reconciliation
• SCORE index
• Factor analysis
• Bangladesh