What is HLP?

HLP issues in Bangladesh

Access to Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) rights has long been a challenge for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, but the situation has worsened for the new arrivals since 2024. Due to administrative constraints, many of these newly arrived refugees have not been allocated shelters and are forced to rely on relatives, rent land or shelter informally, or purchase shelters through unregulated arrangements with third parties claiming ownership. Bangladesh’s complex land management system, particularly the practice of establishing “use rights” on social forestry land, often disrupts tenure security—especially in Ukhiya—through land claims and rent demands by host community members.

Without formal refugee status under Bangladeshi law, Rohingya refugees cannot easily enter legal contracts, making it difficult to secure written tenure agreements. This leaves them vulnerable to arbitrary rent increases, forced evictions, and other land-related disputes, even on land designated as public or humanitarian use. The absence of legal recognition, combined with informal and often exploitative arrangements, significantly increases protection risks. Overcrowded or substandard shelter conditions are common, with women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities facing heightened vulnerability due to limited access to secure, dignified housing.

HLP Working Group in Bangladesh 

The HLP Working Group aims to strengthen tenure security and ensure equitable access to housing, land, and property for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Cox’s Bazar. It focuses on preventing evictions, resolving land disputes, and mitigating protection risks stemming from informal shelter arrangements, arbitrary rent increases, and the absence of legal tenure. Coordinated under the Protection Sector and co-led by NRC, the HLP WG is supported by actors from SCCCM, WASH, and other sectors. It plays a critical role in guiding strategic interventions, conducting assessments, and advancing policy and advocacy efforts to safeguard HLP rights. The response is grounded in cross-sectoral collaboration and emphasizes localized solutions, capacity strengthening, and evidence-based planning.

Summary of Total Beneficiaries Assisted

Strategy Documents

Resources

Members

Co-Chairs: Protection Sector and NRC

HLP WG Members: Action Aid Bangladesh, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), BRAC, Danish Refugee Council (DRC), International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Mukti Cox’s Bazar, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Oxfam, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Contacts

Ezzatullah Raji
Housing Land and Property (HLP) Adviser
Mobile: +8801842155723
Email: [email protected]

Mehtab Samir Sayem
ICLA Project Manager
Mobile: +8801673259688 
Email: [email protected]