Trading inside the Rohingya camps

Trading inside the Rohingya camps

Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
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Mohammad Ayas, a 12-year-old Rohingya refugee in the sprawling Palong Khali camp, is busy hawking piazu, a fried mixture of onions, lentils and spices.

The 150 portions of piazu, made by his mother from the aid package the family received after fleeing violence in Myanmar, sell for 1 taka each, or a little more than 1 U.S. cent.

"I started my trading here with the relief I got," Mohammad said. "I did not buy anything. I got this relief package five days ago and my mum made this piazu this morning."

. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay
Rohingya refugee Abul Talek, 65, bought the chicken for one of his sick children. "I bought this chicken for 150 taka. I think the price is too much for me, a few days ago it was 130 taka and now it has increased 20 taka. I can't go out of the camp to buy chicken, thats why I bought it from here," he said. The price in Palong Khali refugee camp is 150 taka per chicken. The price in Palong Khali Bazar is 120 taka per chicken.

Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims have endured killings, arson and rape by Myanmar troops and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist vigilantes since Aug. 25, in response to Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts, the United Nations says.

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Bangladeshi trader Kuillah Miah weighs shrimp at a stall in Palong Khali refugee camp. "I started my trading here two days ago, I just sell shrimp and it is 100 taka for 250g," Miah said. "Yesterday I sold all my shrimp in a short time and today it will also all sell quickly." The price of shrimp in Palong Khali refugee camp is 100 taka per 250g. The price in Palong Khali Bazar is 80 taka per 250g.
. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay

Bangladeshi trader Kuillah Miah weighs shrimp at a stall in Palong Khali refugee camp. "I started my trading here two days ago, I just sell shrimp and it is 100 taka for 250g," Miah said. "Yesterday I sold all my shrimp in a short time and today it will also all sell quickly." The price of shrimp in Palong Khali refugee camp is 100 taka per 250g. The price in Palong Khali Bazar is 80 taka per 250g.

Faruk, 17, a Rohingya refugee trader holds betel leaves which are on sale. "I buy this betel leaf from Palong Khali market, in one bundle there are 160 pieces, I buy it for 80 taka and I sell it for 100 taka. Bangladeshi's and I sell for the same rate in the camp. Outside in the local market it is 80 taka per bundle. My problem is that I don't have money so I can't buy anything to eat, I can't buy fish to eat," he said.
. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay

Faruk, 17, a Rohingya refugee trader holds betel leaves which are on sale. "I buy this betel leaf from Palong Khali market, in one bundle there are 160 pieces, I buy it for 80 taka and I sell it for 100 taka. Bangladeshi's and I sell for the same rate in the camp. Outside in the local market it is 80 taka per bundle. My problem is that I don't have money so I can't buy anything to eat, I can't buy fish to eat," he said.

A Rohingya refugee boy, the son of Obaidul Mannan, weighs ginger powder. "The problem I’m facing here is that I'm selling next door to traders who are also selling the same items," he said. The price for chilli and ginger powder in Palong Khali refugee camp is 30 taka per 250g. The price in Palong Khali Bazar is 27.5 taka per 250g.
. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay

A Rohingya refugee boy, the son of Obaidul Mannan, weighs ginger powder. "The problem I’m facing here is that I'm selling next door to traders who are also selling the same items," he said. The price for chilli and ginger powder in Palong Khali refugee camp is 30 taka per 250g. The price in Palong Khali Bazar is 27.5 taka per 250g.

Khala Miah, a Bangladeshi trader sells plums. "I started my trading at an early age, I have been working in the camp for one month. I sell plum and plum powder, one pot is 10 taka. I buy the plum 1Kg for 50 taka and sell for 80 taka. Refugees tell me that they are very expensive, even though they tell me this, they still buy it." The price in Palong Khali refugee camp is 10 taka per pot. The price in Palong Khali Bazar is 5 taka per Kg.
. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay

Khala Miah, a Bangladeshi trader sells plums. "I started my trading at an early age, I have been working in the camp for one month. I sell plum and plum powder, one pot is 10 taka. I buy the plum 1Kg for 50 taka and sell for 80 taka. Refugees tell me that they are very expensive, even though they tell me this, they still buy it." The price in Palong Khali refugee camp is 10 taka per pot. The price in Palong Khali Bazar is 5 taka per Kg.

Fans are displayed for sale in a shop. Bangladeshi trader Nurul Absar, 40, started trading two months ago. "I sell different kinds of things like fans, shoes and many others," he said. "It's cheap so the refugees can buy them. They are unable to pay much so we sell it cheaply for them." The price in Palong Khali refugee camp is 35 taka per fan. The price in Palong Khali Bazar is 35 taka per fan.
. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay

Fans are displayed for sale in a shop. Bangladeshi trader Nurul Absar, 40, started trading two months ago. "I sell different kinds of things like fans, shoes and many others," he said. "It's cheap so the refugees can buy them. They are unable to pay much so we sell it cheaply for them." The price in Palong Khali refugee camp is 35 taka per fan. The price in Palong Khali Bazar is 35 taka per fan.

Femipil and other medicines are displayed for sale in a pharmacy. Bangladeshi trader Mohammed Yusuf started trading three days ago. He sells Femipil at 18 taka per packet. "My prices are similar to that of all over Bangladesh. I just sell products which have fixed prices on them. Rohingya refugees don't know the price of medicine, most of them are uneducated thats why they are saying the prices are too high for them," he said.
. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay

Femipil and other medicines are displayed for sale in a pharmacy. Bangladeshi trader Mohammed Yusuf started trading three days ago. He sells Femipil at 18 taka per packet. "My prices are similar to that of all over Bangladesh. I just sell products which have fixed prices on them. Rohingya refugees don't know the price of medicine, most of them are uneducated thats why they are saying the prices are too high for them," he said.

It says problems like children trafficking existed in Bangladesh's camps, even before they were overwhelmed by the more than 600,000 new arrivals.

Now, driven by a need for food and other essentials, trade is starting to thrive in the Palong Khali camp, located about 4km (2.5 miles) from the Naf River that marks the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Some refugees are returning to their previous occupations to eke out a living.

. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay

Abul Fayaj, a 50-year-old vegetable seller from Buthidaung township in Rakhine, now sells green chillies to residents of the camp.

He said a Bangladeshi lent him money for the chillies, which he sells for 200 taka ($2.39) per kg, higher than the local market price of 130 taka per kg.

"I don't have the money to take lots of food, that's why I have to take a loan," he said.

"I have to pay more to the lender who gave me the money to buy the vegetables, so there is only a small profit," said Fayaj, adding he takes home 100 taka a day.

. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay

Obaidul Mannan, 40, with five daughters and two sons, traded clocks in Myanmar until the military came to his village, arresting people and burning homes.

He now sells betel nut that he bought with 9 grams (0.3 ounces) of gold that belonged to his wife. His complaints are common to shopkeepers everywhere.

"The problem I’m facing here is that I'm selling next door to traders who are also selling the same items," he said.

Some Bangladeshi shopkeepers have hired Rohingya to run shops within the camp.

. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay

Kalim Ullah, 42, fled from the Buthidaung area with his wife, six sons and a daughter.

He used to transport goods in Myanmar, but was told that Rohingya could not own a business in Bangladesh. Ullah joined up with a local business owner and now sells snacks and red chillies in the camp for a daily wage of 100 taka.

. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay
Rohingya refugee trader Mohammed Arab, 12, is employed in the camp. "I am working on behalf of a Bangladeshi, he gives me 50 taka at the end of each day. The cigarette company come here and they give us cigarettes to sell, in one day I can sell 1500 taka worth of cigarettes. The price in Palong Khali refugee camp is 10 taka per packet. The price in Palong Khali Bazar is 9 taka per packet.

Two Bangladesh government officials confirmed that the refugees are not legally allowed to own businesses in the country since they are not citizens.

"We are giving all kind of humanitarian assistance. They are not our citizens," said a senior home ministry official. "The Myanmar government will have to take them back."

Bangladeshis are aware of the opportunities that the Rohingya exodus provides for trade and a number of them have moved closer to the camps.

. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay

Abdur Razzak, 26, sells knives, pots and water buckets in the Palong Khali camp where he set up shop three months ago.

After paying rent on his shop, wages for two assistants and transporting goods from the town of Ukhia, about 9 km (5.4 miles) north of the camp, Razzak earns about 500 taka profit on sales of 2,000 taka.

"I'm not making a lot of money. I just profit a little," he said.

Writing by Christain Schmollinger

. Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Reuters/Hannah McKay

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