background While the situation of Rohingya in Bangladesh calls attention to the failures of the humanitarian system, the main challenges facing Rohingya may be those that have been imposed by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB). Over the past few years, the GoB has been implementing many of the strategies utilised by former Myanmar governments and the military junta to make life miserable for Rohingya. Refugee camps have been surrounded by barbed wire fences, curfews have been imposed, checkpoints are ubiquitous, forced labour has become routine, and extortion and violence are everyday occurrences for Rohingya in the camps. In 2022, Fortify Rights documented restrictions on freedom of movement and evidence of abuse by Bangladesh’s Armed Police Battalion (APBn), including beatings of refugees, and in 2023 they documented the torture of refugees by APBn.,32, 33 Furthermore, in January 2023, Human Rights Watch found “rampant police abuse,” of Rohingya refugees by APBn.34 It is against this backdrop that Youth Congress Rohingya (YCR), a Rohingya youth research and advocacy organisation, launched a research project to shed light on the existing restrictions on freedom of movement imposed in the camps by the government authorities. YCR initiated this study in August 2022 with the overall goal of collecting data that could be used to improve camp conditions. The research focused on how these restrictions are enforced and sought to understand the impacts of these restrictions on Rohingya life, including Rohingya livelihoods, education, healthcare, and relationships. Finally, YCR sought to understand Rohingya perceptions of these restrictions, including the reasons they exist. It is this research that underpins the findings presented in this report. 32 33 34 Fortify Rights. Bangladesh: Investigate Refugee-Beatings by Police, Lift Restrictions on Movement. 2022. Fortify Rights. Bangladesh: Ensure Accountability for Police Corruption, Torture of Rohingya Refugees. 2023. Human Rights Watch. Bangladesh: Rampant Police Abuse of Rohingya Refugees. 2023. 18