A severe funding shortage at UNICEF has led to the abrupt dismissal of 1,200 local teachers from learning centers in Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf, triggering widespread protests over the weekend. The teachers, employed through local NGOs under UNICEF-supported programs, were notified of their termination on Thursday without prior warning.
Hundreds of affected teachers formed human chains at Ukhiya’s Shaheed Minar on Saturday and Sunday, demanding reinstatement and alleging discrimination in the dismissal process. Protesters also warned they may block NGO vehicles from entering the camps if their demands are not met within 24 hours.
Currently, approximately 8,000 teachers—half Rohingya and half Bengali—serve in the camps, but over 3,000 more may face termination in the coming weeks as the crisis deepens.
UNICEF cited a dramatic drop in international funding as the reason behind the layoffs, stating it can no longer sustain education operations beyond June 30. Around 400,000 Rohingya children and adolescents are now at risk of losing access to education.
Local officials, including Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kamrul Hossain Chowdhury and Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, confirmed that NGOs are winding down educational activities and that the government has been notified.
UNICEF announced that all learning centers will remain closed through June and may reopen only if additional funding becomes available.
