Abstract

The study explores important public policy issues concerning the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Bangladesh. It discusses the causes of rapid growth of IDPs in Sandwip, an offshore island of Bangladesh situated in the bank of the Bay of Bengal, in particular and in Bangladesh in general. It looks at the devastation of their homelands and culture, the emotional consequences of their dislocation, and the plans to develop a restoration process. Estimates show that a total of 2,695,048 people in 51 districts of Bangladesh (total 64 districts) have been rendered homeless by river erosion over a period of five years from 1990 to 1994, and 550,207 acres of land has been swallowed by the rivers during the same period. The number of displaced populations is around 250,000 per year, and over 3.5 million people have been forced to lead the so-called floating life in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, there are different kinds of displacement, some people are uprooted by flooding, cyclone or tidal surges and some are uprooted for deforestation and increased salinity, and some are the victims of redistribution of land, urbanization and forms of industrialization. In other cases, some are displaced for religious and ethnic causes. This study examines international laws on IDPs established by the United Nations and other global agencies and how far they succeed in protecting the IDPs in nation states, especially in Bangladesh. The study concludes that the IDPs in Bangladesh are insecure because the state is either unable or unwilling to protect them. In a situation like this, IDPs fall into a vacuum of responsibility with and within the state of Bangladesh.