The Rohingya crisis and geopolitical tensions driving the failure of humanitarian governance and legal accountability among refugees in Bangladesh

Abstract

The Rohingya crisis represents a protracted humanitarian and geopolitical emergency shaped by structural statelessness, constrained international accountability, and evolving forms of humanitarian governance. This study examines how these macro-level dynamics are experienced at the micro level through a qualitative investigation of 100 Rohingya refugees residing in camps in Cox's Bazar District, Bangladesh. Adopting an interpretive research design and a geopsychiatric analytical lens, the study explores the intersection of displacement, identity, governance, and psychosocial well-being. The findings reveal that trauma among Rohingya refugees is not limited to past experiences of violence but is continuously reproduced through conditions of chronic uncertainty, restricted mobility, and indefinite encampment. Humanitarian governance, while essential for survival, has evolved into a system of containment that reinforces dependency and limits agency. Statelessness emerges as a central structural and experiential condition, shaping identity fragmentation, non-belonging, and diminished self-worth. Additionally, gendered vulnerabilities intensify exposure to insecurity and psychological distress, particularly among women living under conditions of constrained mobility and protection gaps. By integrating qualitative evidence with insights from international relations and humanitarian governance, the study demonstrates how geopolitical tensions transform humanitarian response into a substitute for political resolution. The analysis contributes to geopsychiatric scholarship by highlighting how structural conditions of displacement produce sustained mental health impacts. The study argues that durable solutions require a shift from containment-based approaches to rights-oriented strategies that link humanitarian assistance with legal accountability and pathways to citizenship restoration or safe repatriation. Without addressing these structural drivers, the Rohingya crisis will remain a persistent condition of managed displacement and institutional uncertainty.