Landholding as a lifeline: The impact of the Rohingya Crisis on farmers in Teknaf and Ukhia

Abstract

Most cohesion and host community reports regarding the Rohingya crisis frequently mention the adversities faced by farmers as a result of the mass exodus, even though their adversities are discussed vaguely, with farmers being discussed as if they are a monolithic group. The objective of this study was to analyse the relationship between a farmer's class and the adversities they have faced as a result of the Rohingya crisis. For data collection, six focus groups were conducted throughout different regions in Teknaf and Ukhia, and two key persons working with host community members were interviewed. Research on neoliberalism and its effects on farming classes were used as a frame of reference, and theories regarding alienation by Shapan Adnan and differentiation by Atiur Rahman were used to analyse the data. The findings illustrated that not only did the farmers' class category play a role in the adversities they faced and the coping strategies they relied on, but it also played a role in enabling processes of differentiation and elite accumulation in the area. The findings also showed that there were some similarities between the effects of neoliberalism on peasant classes and that of the Rohingya crisis, including processes of class differentiation and indirect elite accumulation, even though the root causes of the two issues differed. The findings of this study can contribute to literature regarding the Rohingya crisis, peasant class structures, and the effects of refugee influxes on developing countries.