Social Interaction between 'Host' and 'Guest': Rohingya Refugee Context in Bangladesh

Abstract

The juxtaposition of Rohingya refugees and the host community will be explored in this article, where two parties are not only in a hostile situation but also create an amicable situation through their social interactions. This relationship will be examined using the theoretical concepts of conflict and cultural assimilation. Though the two groups did not originate from the same place, they today have a common socio-cultural heritage. That is why, to function in society, the host community and Rohingya refugees are involved in new social interactions over time and in flourishing mixed kinds of kin networks like marriage and patron-client relations. It is noted that the host community is becoming hostile, but at the beginning of the influx, they were not unsympathetic. Both groups (Rohingya refugees and host community) also have social communication with working aid agencies. On the other hand, through capitalizing on the current situation, a new economic class has emerged in the host community. It is also significant to recognize the ongoing social pattern. So, to understand the relationship profoundly between the host community and Rohingya refugees, those kinds of social interactions should count in similar social research.