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“I love education. I don’t want to be uneducated, it’s important. I want to become a doctor because I want to help my society, my country, and my people.” Bibi, age 16

Dear John,

Bibi Ayesha is a Rohingya youth who was born in Bangladesh. I met her in February 2019 as part of an Amnesty International research delegation to meet with Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Bibi dreams of becoming a doctor. But she was forced to quit school a year ago, at the age of 15. The Bangladeshi government had begun strictly enforcing a long-standing policy that no Rohingya students would be allowed in local schools on the grounds that they are refugees and must go to schools in the camps. However, the government does not allow formal schools in the camps.

Bibi is one of almost half a million Rohingya children and youth growing up in Bangladesh who do not have access to a formal education, and who are at risk of becoming a lost generation, without the opportunity to claim their rights and contribute to the society and economy they live in.

Bangladesh must respect the rights of all children to have access to education. Canada can play an important role in ensuring it happens.

Will you call on Canada to help ensure Bangladesh has the resources and support needed to give all children in Bangladesh access to education?

The ban on access to local schools discriminates against a group already in a very vulnerable situation. Close to one million Rohingya refugees have fled in the face of terrifying military attacks and massive human rights violations across the border in Myanmar. Most escaped Myanmar after the military launched a devastating assault on Rohingya villages, beginning in late August 2017, while many others, like Bibi's family, had fled to Bangladesh during earlier attacks.

Education can play a vital role in maintaining stability and hope in the refugee camps. Investing in the next generation can help foster conditions for a successful return to Myanmar when it is safe to go home.

Today, January 24, is the International Day of Education, a day to recognize access to education as a vitally important human right, and a time to focus on the role that education plays in advancing peace and development in our world.

Today my heart is very much with the Rohingya children and youth I met, living in crowded, sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh, yearning for their right to education to be respected and upheld.

For all children like Bibi, we can’t just let this day slip by. Thank you for taking a moment to urge the Canadian government to help ensure all children in Bangladesh are given access to education and a future.

Sincerely,

Alex Neve
Secretary General
Amnesty International Canada

P.S. The international community must continue to support Bangladesh and share responsibility of educating all children. Please send a message to urge Canada to proactively engage with Bangladesh to make this happen.