The Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh are experiencing a severe education crisis exacerbated by recent cutbacks in foreign aid, according to a recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). As aid diminishes, critical education services for Rohingya children face devastating disruptions, with dire implications for the community’s future.
Since early June 2025, the funding shortfall prompted entities like the United Nations Children’s Fund and Save the Children to close approximately 6,400 learning centers. This development impacts nearly 300,000 children seeking education in the camps. The drastic reduction in educational infrastructure is largely attributed to the former Trump administration’s executive order, which significantly froze humanitarian funds, plummeting from $300 million in 2024 to $12 million in 2025, as reported by The Daily Star.
HRW has called on Bangladesh’s interim government to remove restrictions on refugees, alongside advocating for the inclusion of Rohingya educators in policy-making processes. The organization highlights the valuable expertise of local education networks, especially in languages pertinent to the Rohingya and Burmese communities (Peace Research Institute Oslo).
In light of Bangladesh’s previous government’s reluctance to establish permanent schooling facilities—fearing it might deter refugees from returning to Myanmar—the current situation raises complex legal and moral questions. International legal frameworks, including Article 10 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, underscore the rights of children to education—rights further reinforced by the UN 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
HRW’s ongoing advocacy puts Bangladesh under scrutiny for what the organization views as violations of its international obligations to ensure education for Rohingya children, with similar accusations voiced by HRW as early as 2019. The larger concern remains the uncertain future for Rohingya youth in these vulnerable circumstances.
The situation continues to develop, with broader implications for humanitarian action and refugee rights worldwide. For further details, refer to the complete article on JURIST – News.