The Right to Education of Rohingya Refugee Children in Bangladesh: A Critical Legal Literature Review

The protracted displacement of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh has produced one of the most severe educational crises for refugee children in the contemporary world. Despite international legal guarantees recognising education as a fundamental and non-derogable right of the child, Rohingya children remain excluded from formal, accredited education systems. This article undertakes a critical legal literature review to analyse how international refugee law, international human rights law, and humanitarian governance intersect to shape this exclusion. Drawing on scholarly literature, international legal instruments, policy reports, and interdisciplinary research published between 2017 and 2025, the article argues that the denial of formal education is not merely an administrative failure but a structurally embedded form of rights deprivation. The review identifies key conceptual frameworks such as temporariness, containment, and the state of exception and examines their legal and psychosocial consequences. It concludes that existing humanitarian education models fail to meet international legal standards and recommends a shift toward rights-based, certified, and participatory educational frameworks consistent with Bangladesh’s international obligations.