---
title: "NRC in Bangladesh"
description: "Over a million Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar and settled in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, which now hosts one of the largest and most overcrowded refugee camps in the world."
url: "https://www.nrc.no/countries/asia/bangladesh"
language: "en"
published: "2025-03-21T09:10:59Z"
modified: "2026-09-22T13:27:18Z"
---

# NRC in Bangladesh

A Rohingya child outside her shelter in the camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, home to nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees. Photo: Ratul Piul/NRC

Over a million Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar and settled in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, which now hosts one of the largest and most overcrowded refugee camps in the world.

Published 21. Mar 2025 Updated 22. Sep 2026

[Bangladesh](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=34)

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) helps provide clean drinking water and sanitation, education programmes, emergency preparedness, as well as vital information and legal counselling for both refugees and Bangladeshi host communities. In total, our support reaches over 155,000 people each year.

## What’s happening in Bangladesh?

Cox’s Bazar is one of the largest and most densely populated refugee settlements in the world, hosting more than 1.2 million refugees, most of them Rohingya people who fled persecution in neighbouring Myanmar.

Infrastructure in these congested camps is ageing and overstretched, with flimsy bamboo shelters perched precariously on land prone to flooding, landslides and cyclones. Families have limited access to essential services, such as clean water, sanitation, healthcare and education. Despite repeated efforts, refugees lack formal legal status in Bangladesh, and statelessness limits their ability to move freely, support themselves and access essential services and long-term protection.

Security risks are also growing, including gender-based violence, exploitation, trafficking and forced recruitment. Tensions and insecurity in parts of the camps can restrict humanitarian access and make it harder for people to move safely or access support.

The Bangladeshi host community in Cox’s Bazar also face significant social, economic and environmental pressures, as strain on local resources, infrastructure and livelihood opportunities has deepened over time.

## Our response

We’re working with our partners in the following areas:

- **Water, sanitation and hygiene** – providing safe water sources and sanitation facilities, and promoting waste and personal hygiene management.

- **Education** – providing formal and informal learning, teacher training, life skills sessions, skills development, and psychosocial support.

- **Protection from violence** – helping people reduce risks linked to violence, coercion, deprivation and exploitation, while supporting communities to strengthen their own safety and resilience.

- **Information, counselling and legal assistance** – helping refugees and host communities understand and claim their rights, access civil documentation, resolve disputes and address housing, land and property rights issues.

- **Emergency response** – maintaining an emergency staff roster to provide cash assistance, hygiene, contingency supplies, shelter support and emergency awareness.

![adobe pdf](https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/graphics/icons/file-extentions/adobe_pdf_icon.svg)

[Download the factsheet for NRC in Bangladesh](https://www.nrc.no/resources/fact-sheets/nrc-bangladesh--fact-sheet)

## Our operations

**NRC office established:** 2018

**Areas of operation:** Cox’s Bazar District, Khulna District, Feni District, Noakhali District, Satkhira District

**Country Director:** Dipankar Datta

**Contact:** [bd.info@nrc.no](mailto:bd.info@nrc.no)

![Bangladesh map](https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/country-pages/maps/bangladesh-map---nrc.jpg)

## Our impact

In 2025, we assisted 156,340 people through our programmes in Bangladesh:

- 8,957

  Education
- 5,943

  Shelter and settlements
- 3,665

  Protection from violence
- 60,694

  Information, counselling and legal assistance
- 78,302

  Water, sanitation and hygiene
- 3,322

  Multi-purpose cash assistance

***Note:** some people received more than one type of assistance.*

### News and stories

## [The Rohingya Exodus](https://www.nrc.no/feature/2026/the-rohingya-exodus)

25. Aug 2026 | Feature

## [The tenth year cannot be another year of waiting](https://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2026/the-tenth-year-cannot-be-another-year-of-waiting)

25. Aug 2026 | Bangladesh

Press release

## [Bangladesh: Monsoon emergency exposes growing humanitarian needs across Cox's Bazar](https://www.nrc.no/news/2026/bangladesh-monsoon-emergency-exposes-growing-humanitarian-needs-across-coxs-bazar)

17. Jul 2026 | Bangladesh

[More news and stories](https://www.nrc.no/search?searchCategories=123,125,172,335,34&searchMethod=1)

### Publications

## [Arar Sofor – Our Past, Our Journey, Our Future](https://www.nrc.no/resources/books/arar-sofor--our-past-our-journey-our-future)

07. Oct 2026 | Bangladesh

## [Gender dynamics analysis on accessing and exercising HLP rights in Rohingya camps](https://www.nrc.no/resources/briefing-notes/gender-dynamics-analysis-on-accessing-and-exercising-hlp-rights-in-rohingya-camps)

08. Jan 2025 | Bangladesh

## [HLP challenges in Rohingya camps: identifying strategies to improve security of tenure for Rohingya](https://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/hlp-challenges-in-rohingya-camps-identifying-strategies-to-improve-security-of-tenure-for-rohingya)

24. Jul 2024 | Bangladesh

[More publications](https://www.nrc.no/search?searchCategories=124,131,132,175,178,314,315,357,34&searchMethod=1)

**Region:** Asia  
**Population:** 175.69 million  
**Total displaced:** 0.7 million  
**Refugees hosted:** 1.1 million