Thousands of Rohingya Muslims began to flood across Myanmar’s border with Bangladesh in August after violence erupted in Rakhine state. Dan Kitwood was dispatched to Bangladesh to cover the unfolding story in Cox’s Bazar, close to the border. Here he describes his experiences.

Refugees gather on a mud bank after security forces temporarily stopped people crossing into Whaikhyang



I flew Gatwick–Dubai–Chittagong, then a five-hour taxi ride south to a hotel, an Eco Lodge 40 minutes south of Cox’s Bazar. The story was quickly unfolding so the brief was simply to get on the ground ASAP and get to work. Refugees were still crossing and, though in smaller numbers, continue to do so. The idea was to show the scale of the story but try to give it a human face in as sensitive a way as possible.

The border between the two countries runs over difficult terrain, from hill tracts over mountainous jungle further north to large expanses of paddy fields as the land flattens and follows the course of the river south, eventually widening as it makes its way to the sea. Depending on where they were fleeing from, refugees were crossing all along the border, by trekking over the hills, wading and swimming across shallow rivers, across the ridges between the paddy fields, in small boats between marshes, and then eventually in the larger fishing boats bringing people over the 1.2 miles (2km) to the southern tip of the Bangladeshi peninsula.



Rohingya refugees walk across paddy fields at dusk after crossing the border from Myanmar



Between the scattering of villages, trees and occasional hills, views across the landscape from the road that ran north to south dissecting the peninsula, you could see the hilltops of Myanmar looming over the horizon. Trying to find people making the journey was simply a case of keeping your eyes open and scanning the horizon. Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees already lined the roads, some new arrivals and many who had made their home there since the last wave of violence swept through Rakhine state in 2016.

As is nearly always the case, I was working alone. I had arranged a local fixer and driver. My fixer, Mostafa, was a 25-year-old English student from Cox’s Bazar Human Resource Development Foundation.



A new settlement of Rohingya refugees begins to form in hills off the main road in Whaikhyang



The scenes were incredibly reminiscent of those I experienced while covering the migrant crisis in 2015 in the Balkan region: a constant stream as thousands of people – men, women and children – fled a place they had called home for reasons completely out of their hands and headed into the unknown.

A young Rohingya refugee gathers firewood after arriving in Whaikhyang from Myanmar



The geography of the land and the heat and humidity were what set it apart. Bangladesh is in monsoon season. At times the mud was knee-deep, making every step so much more difficult.

One of the moments that will stay with me for some time is the morning I spent on the beach at the far south of the peninsula. We had started the day early, around 4.30am, and made the one hour and 40-minute journey as far as the road would take us to Dakhinpara.

Rohingya refugees jump from a wooden boat as it begins to roll over



From there, the road had been washed away and what had once been land had now been taken over by the tide. The only way to get across was by boat so we managed to get a small wooden boat to take us. The water was incredibly shallow as it was low tide, so we got stuck several times and had to push the boat out of the mud. Once across there we had to get a rickshaw to the jetty, and then walk for half an hour or so to the water’s edge. The shore was littered with the carcasses of dead animals. The boat was being picked clean by locals looking for anything useful.

A Rohingya refugee breaks down in tears after jumping from a wooden boat that began to tip over



Men carrying babies, children and old women were sent splashing into the sea. It was difficult to know where to look Dan Kitwood

We were joined by a couple of border police, who had been given information that a boat had left from the other side and was expected to arrive. After 40 minutes or so we caught a glimpse of the boat, but it seemed hesitant to come in, instead making its way up and down the shore about 500 metres off the beach. It seemed that they were hesitant to come ashore, perhaps because of the police. After half an hour they clearly had decided it wasn’t worth the risk and disappeared out of sight back towards Myanmar.

We had all but given up as the day was drawing on and started to make our way back when we passed a local man who was coming back and said he had info that there was a boat coming in. Sure enough a boat came into sight, but this time it was being escorted by the Bangladeshi coastguard, so it had no choice but to come in. As it came in it turned sideward because of its design and the waves began to tip it over, sending everyone with it.

A man carries an elderly woman ashore



Most people got to shore relatively unscathed, but soaked to the bone and utterly exhausted. Their journey across from mainland Myanmar had been the final part of a long journey.

One elderly woman had been pushed under the water and was helped by a relative, but she was in a poor state and collapsed on the shore.

Scanning the scene, it appeared that apart from the old lady, most people were OK, yet everyone was screaming and shouting hysterically. Several of the women were throwing themselves on the floor at my feet and screaming to me as if they needed help. I didn’t know what to do as I thought perhaps a child had been left behind or was still in the sea.

Refugees comfort the elderly woman on the shore



A huge fight soon broke out between some of the men. Mostafa, my fixer, and I tried to break it up and find out what was happening. It turned out that the two young men “piloting” the boat had stopped halfway across and demanded that all the refugees give them all their valuable possessions, including necklaces, rings.

I was speechless that anyone could be capable of such a thing, but unable to do anything. Luckily, the coastguard were running towards the scene and took the men to one side to “gently persuade” them to hand people back their possessions.

We went back to help the elderly woman and suggest people get her out of her wet clothes and try to get her dry, which they did. Sadly, I don’t know what happened to her as we were asked to leave by the coastguard so they could do some more “persuading”, but I do fear the worst. I hope she made it.

Refugees are transported to a camp in the back of a lorry after arriving in Kutupalong from Myanmar. Below: Children gather by the side of the road and under makeshift shelters



I visited the Sadar hospital, which was looking after about 30 patients suffering from a range of things, including injuries from road accidents, beatings and gunshot wounds, in Cox’s Bazar, in an area that had been sectioned off especially for Rohingya refugee arrivals.



I don’t think many of the people had ever seen an x-ray before Dan Kitwood

Inam Hussain holds an x-ray showing a bullet in his knee at the Sadar hospital



There was a real range of injuries and conditions, from young children to the elderly. Several of the patients had been given x-rays and bullets could clearly be seen.



Dilder Vezum, 30, and her daughter Noor-Karima Vezum, 10, from Tula Tuli in Myanmar, sit on a bed in the Sadar hospital



I photographed a woman with her only remaining child. According to their accounts, they had both been attacked by the Burmese military with machetes and her husband and other child had been killed. They were clearly still in shock and nursing injuries under their bandaged heads. It was shocking that anyone could do that, especially to women and young, innocent children. Most of the hospitals had been overwhelmed with injured people, but the Bangladeshi nurses and doctors were doing all they could to help people.

