A Mandolin in Exile

Modhurchora Refugee Camp, at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the largest of its kind in the world, where millions of Rohingya refugees are confined. In this land of no-hope, filled with extreme despair of existential struggle, rays of hope are being ignited by a lone native musician. Mohammad (Ahmed) Hossain, the ‘Mandolin man’ refuged here along with millions of Rohingyas out of fear, threat and massacre instituted by Myanmar military force since August, 2017. Hossain is a passionate musician. He used to compose songs incorporating day-to-day reality of his people and express their hopes through his accompanying voice of Mandolin. Among the Muslim community of Rohingya, practice of music is forbidden by religion. Yet Ahmed Hossain defies the dictum and continues his journey to spread love, humanity and the community’s yearning for the lost homeland. In this land of absurdity and morose, he bits his heart audible, speaks in his own voice of descent. Hossain, despite external resistance and his own frustrations makes a dent in people’s mind with revering hopes through . As his music is becoming popular, he participates in concerts beyond the camp to spread soulful stories of stateless Rohingyas craving for home. He is among one, of the millions who feels uncertainty about their life and future. This is the story of Hossain’s Exiled life as well as his Mandolin.