“Trapped Between Wars: The Heartbreaking Escape of Habi Ullah and His Family”

Habi Ullah, a 52-year-old man of Rohingya descent, once lived a modest life in Khadir Bill village of Maungdaw, Myanmar. He and his family of eleven members, eight males and three females endured years of hardship under constant restrictions and extortion, yet they managed to survive with dignity and hope. Life was never easy, but it was bearable said Habi Ullah. That fragile stability shattered when fierce fighting erupted between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar military.

Their once-familiar village turned into a battlefield filled with fear, chaos, and despair. As the violence escalated, Habi Ullah and his family found themselves trapped between two warring forces, stripped of safety, food, and peace. Despite their desperate attempts to stay in their homeland, the situation became unbearable. With hearts heavy and hope fading, they were forced to flee across the border to Bangladesh leaving behind their home, memories, and everything they had ever known.

In Habi’s case, oppression along with violence was made a constant in his life. Pre-conflict, self-employment was a means to live off of which themselves was greatly impacted due to the escalation of fighting in the region. Due to the situation rising out of control, Habi said, “We were attacked constantly and our day-to-day existence transformed into a nightmare. There was violence everywhere, and we were endlessly starving.”

As time progressed toward August 2024, the situation of Habi and the other Rohingya was only deepening. The fighting amidst the AA resulted in over 100 civilians belonging to the Rohingya ethnicity being killed due to Habi’s hatred toward them. “We on August 5, have and still are suffering due to the attack of AA drones that feared all of us and this forced sprinting from danger along with a bloodbath.

To flee the Bangladesh refugee camp was not an easy task. Habi and his family dealt with many issues like thugs who robbed them and even the risk of drowning while trying to cross a river. “The boat is overcrowded and so is the river. We feared the boat would sink. While crossing, we were attacked by the AA,” Habi remembers the terrible conditions they bore while escaping.

Habi and his family managed to set foot in Bangladesh, and with the help of their relatives, they were given some place to stay in the refugee camps. Nevertheless, their problems still were not resolved. Habi mentions, “We were able to get some rice from the Rohingya, but they are too few. Life inside the camp is unbearable. There is no roof over our heads, no medicines, and no possible way to make money. Life is very challenging in Bangladesh refugee camp.

Habi and his family continue to endure what most would deem unimaginable. It is challenging for them, however, their little support from the Rohingya community is better than nothing. “The Bangladesh government and NGOs do not give any meaningful support. The government is reluctant to take in more refugees, so there is no support,” Habi explains the condition of minimal help.

To me, it felt like being a bird in a cage. Ripe with emotion, leaving Maungdaw was an act that I deeply struggled to accept. We left for our lives were in danger, which was a hard decision to come to but ultimately, there was no other choice for us,” Habi recalls, capturing the pain and ambiguity of having to escape.

The journey itself bears witness for the overwhelming array of grief that countless Rohingya people had to, and still are faced with, and the acute pain that is needed to muster up just to survive in Maungdaw, which is supposedly a relatively calm region.

By,

Misbahur Rahman