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Rohingya Women Rise Up In Bangladesh's Refugees Camps

Rohingya Media Fellows

Through powerful photos and thoughtful commentary, three young Rohingya refugees let us inside the largest refugee camp in the world.

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About the project

Doha Debates teamed up with human rights organization Fortify Rights to train three young Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on the basics of photography and Instagram. These media fellows—Azimul Hasson, Dil Kayas and Omal Khair—were equipped with mobile phones and they’re now documenting their lives inside Cox’s Bazar, the largest refugee camp in the world. The project won the Shorty Social Good Award in the Immigration & Refugees category in November 2020.

Meet our fellows and follow their journey.

Exhibit at Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar

The 2023 Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar featured photography by the three graduates of the Doha Debates – Fortify Rights media fellows program. Additionally, Azimul Hasson spoke about storytelling and photography with museumgoers in Doha using our Portal, which connects people as though they’re in the same room.

A Chance to Breathe was on exhibit at the 2023 Tasweer Photo Festival in Doha, Qatar, and featured photographs by Azimul Hasson, Omal Khair and Dil Kayas.

Azimul Hasson, Omal Khair and Dil Kayas were part of the Doha Debates – Fortify Rights media fellows program. Together, our organizations provided photography and social media training for three young refugees living in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh.

Cox’s Bazaar is one of the world’s largest refugee settlements. These photographs bring viewers to the settlement through the eyes of young people who live there.

The three photographers are survivors of the Rohingya genocide. Their work acknowledges sorrow and grief—but also joy, laughter and play.

Their photographs are collected in a full-color book, A Chance to Breathe, which you can purchase at the link below.

A Chance to Breathe

A Chance to Breathe is a full-color hardbound book featuring the photography and poetry of Omal Khair, Dil Kayas and Azimul Hasson. These survivors of Rohingya genocide were forced from their homes in Rakhine State during the Myanmar-military-led “clearance operations” of 2017.

In 2018, Fortify Rights, in partnership with Doha Debates, began providing on-the-ground photography and social-media training for these three young refugees. Azimul Hasson, 20, dreams of pursuing higher education; Omal Khair, 18, believes that empowered women are agents of change; and Dil Kayas, 28, a young mother of three, has a strong passion for photography.

A Chance to Breathe is published with support from Doha Debates and Fortify Rights.

Order your copy.

View this post on Instagram

In the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, information is often shared through social media, but months-long restrictions on internet access has made it harder to communicate. Now that two suspected cases of coronavirus have appeared, Rohingya refugees are worried and afraid. Our media fellow @dilkayas provides this update. @dilkayas is a media fellow with @FortifyRights and @DohaDebates. @DohaDebates and @fortifyrights are supporting three young Rohingya refugees to help them develop storytelling skills with new video diary updates from the camps. Take a peek at life inside the world’s largest refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, by following @dilkayas and our other fellows, @omalkha and @azimulhass. #DearWorld #rohingya #refugees #refugeeswelcome #covid19 #coronavirus

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Watch Exodus

This documentary follows Omal Khair, Azimul Hasson and Dil Kayas as they learn to see their lives through a new lens — and offers the world a rare glimpse into what life is like for young Rohingya refugees.

Learn more about our fellows: