The Disowned and the Denied - Part 2

Saiful Huq Omi is a photographer based in the Dhaka City, Bangladesh. His project, "The Disowned and the Denied" focuses on the Rohingya refugees who escaped from Burma in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Bradford, UK. 

In part 2 of the Denied and Disowned, the focus of the photographs are the displaced Rohingya’s living in Bradford, UK.

Although it is not a country they can honestly call their own, it does give the Rohingya an opportunity to set up a life for themselves. The Rohingya returning to their homeland will ultimately depend in the long run on Burma’s return to a working Democratic state.

Many thanks to the Magnum foundation for the permitted use of Saiful’s interview and Saiful himself for the powerful photography that he brings to NGOinsider.com.

 All images below are subject to copyright and should not be republished without permission of the photographer.

“ A small number of Rohingya refugees have been resettled in Bradford.’’

''The Rohingya community in Bradford has been resettled from Bangladesh. The conditions in the Bangladesh refugee camps are very basic and even quite poor– so from a security and comfort perspective, they are better off in Bradford.''

''How well they integrate into the local community, cope with the difference in culture and weather, and face the geographic distance from home is a different question altogether.''

 

‘’For Rohingya people, life in Bradford  is ’unreal’. Even in their dreams they never thought one day they would have a life like this.’’

''They are a resilient people and the hope is that they find happiness and fulfillment in their new homes but also find ways to remain in touch with all that they've left behind.’’

''Knowing life won’t be easy in this foreign land, the Rohingya are preparing to face challenges. Parents hope their children will have the dignity that they never had. They are planning their futures for the first time in their lives.’’

''The Rohingya's history shows that even before the military regime took power, there were tensions between the state and them. Even today we see that the Rohingya are not well-integrated into the democratic movement. So there is a danger that a democratic Burma will only go half the distance necessary to address past injustices, promote future equality, and facilitate their full integration into society.''

 

Please take a moment to see the work of Saiful Huq Omi and the Magnum foundation: The Magnum foundation

We conclude the article with Saiful’s thoughts on his reflection of his work with the Rohingya people.

''If people feel the Rohingya situation cannot continue and enough is enough, my job will be done. I hope one day through the work of photographers including myself, people will know the existence of the Rohingya people, feel the collective responsibility to fix the problem, and do justice to a long mistreated and silenced community. Only when that happens will I feel I've done my part, nothing less.’’

Many thanks to Saiful Huq Omi and the Magnum Foundation for the contribution to NGOinsider.

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The Disowned and the Denied - Part 2