From Rohingya camp to NY University
Maung Sawyeddollah from a Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar has received a scholarship to New York University. Sawyeddollah, who was determined to pursue higher studies, did not have a smooth journey.
He became stateless and passport-less after fleeing to Bangladesh to escape from the genocide of Myanmar Army. So the universities did not want to enroll him initially. At one point, his dream of higher studies was almost over.
More 1.1 million Rohingya resorted to Bangladesh, fleeing from the genocide by the Myanmar Army in 2017. Sawyeddollah and his family were among them. He has had deep interest in studies since his childhood. But he could not pursue higher studies as the Myanmar government imposed an embargo on higher studies for the Rohingya community. After coming to Bangladesh, he learnt that there was no legal provision to enrol Rohingya students for higher studies at any of the universities in Bangladesh.
At one point he started writing to Bangladeshi educational institutions, humanitarian organisations and other concerned authorities in the country to ensure the right to higher studies for Rohingya students. He started running campaigns and writing articles seeking opportunities of higher studies for Rohingyas.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Maung Sawyeddollah said, “After becoming a refugee, I came to realise that it was tough for me to get higher studies. At first, I applied to different universities for higher studies. At first, I applied for an opportunity to the Cox’s Bazar International University, the nearest one from my camp.
“I also submitted applications to different international organisations for my higher studies. But I didn’t get the expected response from anybody in the beginning. My main goal was to continue my studies. I didn’t have any such desire to get higher studies in the US, but I wanted to study at a good university,” he added.
Sawyeddollah didn’t lose hope even after getting rejected by everyone. He said, “I applied to more than 100 universities. That doesn’t mean I randomly applied to every university. I applied to universities only after getting rejected from another one. For instance, I applied to Oxford University at first. But I was rejected as I didn’t meet their requirements. However, some of the universities that I had applied to offered me scholarships. I appealed to universities in various countries, including the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and Ireland. My main target was to ensure an opportunity to pursue higher studies.”
The US embassy in Dhaka posted on Facebook congratulating Maung Sawyeddollah on his success.
The post reads, “Applauding the first Rohingya student at New York University — congrats, Maung Sawyeddollah! From the hardships of genocide to admission at the NYU after applying to 147 universities, your unwavering commitment is a testament to resilience and determination. May your story inspire others and pave the way for dignity and justice for the Rohingya people.”
Expressing gratitude to the people who stood beside him, Maung Sawyeddollah said, “I am grateful to everyone who helped me get higher studies. I also want to thank the government of Bangladesh as it was not possible for me to come to the USA for higher studies without getting the clearance from Bangladesh. Besides, I am also grateful to the US Embassy in Dhaka for granting me a VISA without passport considering my situation.”
*This report appeared on the print an online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu