Meet Tasmida, the First Rohingya Refugee Girl to Enter College

Tasmida is a Rohingya Muslim who was forced to leave Myanmar and then Bangladesh.

Tasmida is a Rohingya Muslim who has been living in India as a refugee since 2012. She will be the first girl from her community to enter college.  

(Photo: The Quint/Aroop Mishra)

(This article was originally published on 20 June 2019 and is being republished from The Quint’s archives on the occasion of the World Refugee Day.)

Camera: Abhishek Ranjan
Illustrations: Aroop Mishra
Animation and Sound Design: Puneet Bhatia
Producers: Vatsala Singh and Puneet Bhatia
Executive Producer: Ritu Kapur

Twenty-two-year-old Tasmida is a Rohingya Muslim who has been displaced twice – once from Mayanmar and once from Bangladesh. Her family fled Myanmar in 2005 when she was only six years old. In a year’s time, they finally settled in Bangladesh, where Tasmida was enrolled in school.

However, in 2012, as situation of Rohingya Muslims worsened in Myanmar, many flocked to country, making the Bangladesh government take action against those living ‘illegally’ in the country. Tasmida’s family was forced to move once more.

Tasmida is one among the 40,000 Rohingya Muslims who are now living as refugees in India. She will be the first Rohingya girl from her community to enter college.

With the help of UNHCR and her brother, she enrolled herself in computer and Hindi classes. She completed class 10 in an open school and class 11 and 12 from a private school.

The journey as a Rohingya Muslim girl who is living in a country as a refugee to be the first girl from her community to enter college wasn’t easy. It was filled with uncertainties, interruptions in study, learning new languages and also convincing her to not marry young like other girls from her community.

There is another challenge in front of her. The family lacks the money to fund her college admission. Currently, they have started an online fundraiser to arrange for the tuition fee.