By: RO Maung Shwe
Meet Hala Banu, a 78-year-old Rohingya woman who has endured a lifetime of hardship and challenges. Originally from Keyariprang, Ywama Village in Maungdaw Township, Arakan (Rakhine State), she was forced to flee her homeland due to persecution and violence. Now, she resides in a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, where she struggles daily as an elderly woman without stability or comfort.
Early Life and Marriage
Hala Banu was born into a middle-class family as the third daughter of the late Amir Uddin and Shamsun Naher. Raised with strong values, she grew up in a household that prioritized kindness and good manners. She had seven siblings—three sisters and five brothers.
At the age of 15, her parents arranged her marriage to a man from a nearby village. Her husband was a successful businessman who frequently traveled to Yangon to trade goods. Together, they had three children—one daughter and two sons.
However, tragedy struck when her husband suffered a sudden heart attack during a business trip to Yangon. Despite receiving medical treatment, he passed away, leaving the family devastated both emotionally and financially. At the time, her children were too young to understand the complexities of their father’s business affairs, and no one stepped forward to guide her. Despite societal pressure to remarry, she chose to dedicate her life to raising and educating her children.
Rebuilding Life
As the years passed, her sons completed their education and eventually revived their father’s business. Seeing her struggle alone, they encouraged her to consider remarriage. Eventually, she agreed and married a man who had lost his first wife during childbirth. He was struggling to raise his children alone, and Hala Banu became a pillar of support for him. She brought her young daughter with her, and her new husband embraced her as his own.
Her second husband was engaged in agricultural work, and together they had four more children—two daughters and two sons. However, life was never free from hardships. In 2012, one of her stepsons was tragically killed by an elephant while gathering resources in the hills. His death left his wife and children in a dire situation, forcing his eldest son to migrate to Malaysia for work to support his family.
Displacement and Life as a Refugee
Over the decades, Hala Banu faced multiple displacements due to state-sponsored violence and systematic persecution of the Rohingya people. She was forced to flee her home in 1978, 1991, 2012, 2016, and 2017, each time enduring unimaginable suffering.
Now, in her old age, she lives with her youngest son, who works as a daily laborer to support the family. His income is meager, barely enough to cover their basic needs, let alone the additional care required for an elderly mother. Life in the refugee camp is harsh, with limited access to nutritious food, medical care, or dignified living conditions.
“At this stage in life, a person should have access to healthy food, a comfortable lifestyle, and proper care,” Hala Banu says. “I am struggling to survive in a place that is not my home. Every day, I pray to the Almighty Allah to bless me and grant me the chance to return to my homeland, Arakan. I want to take my last breath there, in the land where I was born.”
A Hope for the Future
Despite all the suffering she has endured, Hala Banu remains hopeful that one day, she and her people will no longer be refugees. She dreams of returning to Arakan with dignity, where the Rohingya can live in peace and reclaim their rightful home.
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