N. Rashed Chowdhury

A Mandolin in Exile

The Modhurchora Refugee Camp, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, is the largest of its kind in the world, where millions of Rohingya refugees are confined. In this hopeless land, filled with the extreme despair of existential struggle, a ray of hope is lit by a lone native musician. Mohammad (Ahmed) Hossain, the 'Mandolin man' took refuge here with millions of Rohingya people due to fear, threats and massacres carried out by Myanmar military forces since August 2017. Hossain is a passionate musician. He used to compose songs that combined the everyday realities of his people and expressed their hopes through the voice of the accompanying Mandolin. Among the Rohingya Muslim community, the practice of music is prohibited by religion.