By: RO Maung Shwe
Laila Begum, a 52-year-old Rohingya widow from Yay Dwin Kyun, also known as Raimmabil, in northern Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, Myanmar, has faced a life filled with loss and hardship.
Born to Rahmat Ullah, a fisherman, and Begum Baher, Laila was the eldest of several siblings in a family that relied on fishing to survive.
Their village was surrounded by ponds, known as “Guuda” in the Rohingya language, where only fish could thrive due to the salt-laden soil, making agriculture impossible. Her father sold his catch to local vendors, supporting his family of eleven.
As Laila grew older, her family arranged her marriage to Mohammad Salam, a fellow villager from Myaw Taung Saliprang.
Together, they built a family, blessed with seven children—two sons and five daughters. Their eldest son, Gofur Mia, worked in a nearby NaTaLa Rakhine village to support them, but their lives took a tragic turn in 2012.
Fleeing Persecution in Myanmar
In June 2012, violence erupted after an incident involving Rohingya religious members in Akyab (Sittwe), leading to widespread persecution.
Gofur Mia was killed by a group of NaTaLa Rakhine civilians while returning from work. The next day, Myanmar police falsely accused him of attempting to burn down the village and fined Laila’s family 5 lakh Myanmar kyats—a sum they could never afford. At that time, daily wages were only 1,000 kyats.
With no justice in sight and fearing further persecution, Laila and her family were forced to flee their ancestral village under the cover of night, leaving behind everything they owned. They crossed the border into Bangladesh, seeking safety and a new beginning.
Struggles in the Refugee Camp
Laila’s family settled in Kutupalong Refugee Camp but received no humanitarian assistance initially. To survive, her young sons sought work in Chittagong, while her husband turned to fishing in the Bengal River to support them.
Despite the hardships, Laila managed to arrange marriages for her five daughters to daily laborers, ensuring some stability for them. However, her struggles were far from over.
One day, her husband embarked on a fishing trip to Cox’s Bazar and never returned. Later, Laila learned that he and two other fishermen had drowned at sea. “Being born into poverty, we have faced struggles at every step, no matter where we go,” she laments.
Now, her two remaining sons are married and live separately, occasionally helping her when possible. The family relies on humanitarian aid, particularly food rations from the World Food Program (WFP).
However, with limited opportunities for work inside the camp, survival remains uncertain. “Before, we could survive on our own earnings, but now we are completely dependent on aid,” she explains.
Surviving During Ramadan
Ramadan is an especially difficult time for Laila. She depends on food assistance from WFP but often struggles to afford basic necessities for iftar and sehri. “After my husband passed away, every year during Ramadan, an unknown donor would send iftar items and some money.
Last year, he gave me 2,000 taka along with 5 kg of chickpeas, 1 liter of oil, 1 kg of puffed rice, a bottle of juice, and 5 kg of onions,” she recalls. “But this year, he hasn’t come, and I haven’t received help from anywhere else.”
With food prices soaring during Ramadan, even those with steady incomes struggle to afford essentials. Laila dreams of providing her family with a proper meal, including milk, fish, or meat, but these are now luxuries she cannot afford.
“I am still strong enough to work,” she insists. “If international organizations or the community could create opportunities for people like me, I could earn enough to manage my basic needs.”
Conclusion
Laila Begum’s story is one of resilience in the face of immense hardship. She has endured the loss of her son, her husband, and the life she once knew in Myanmar.
Yet, despite these struggles, she remains determined to survive and provide for herself. What she seeks is not charity, but an opportunity—to work, to support herself, and to reclaim her dignity.
As the Rohingya crisis continues, her plea echoes the voices of countless others who simply want the chance to build a life beyond mere survival.
