Ahtaram Shin
Writer, Researcher, Photographer and Civil Society Activist
Ahtaram is a multifaceted professional with roles spanning research, journalism, education, social work, teaching and project management, primarily aimed at advocacy and capacity building. His advocacy efforts center around the Rohingya community, with a deep focus on human rights and combatting human trafficking, border cross trading, the future of Rohingya Generation under the shadows of federal democracy in Myanmar and Hepatitis C Virus in Rohingya camp.
Born in 1996 in Odaung village, located in Southern Maungdaw, Rakhine state, Ahtaram faced unique challenges as the youngest son in his family due to his father's absence. His father, a theologian and Islamic scholar, left for Saudi Arabia in 1997 and was unable to return to Myanmar until 2014 when his mother successfully reunited with him in Saudi Arabia. His mother, a remarkable woman, worked tirelessly to provide an education for Ahtaram and his siblings despite the obstacles imposed by the Myanmar government during their schooling years.
Ahtaram's dedication to education is evident throughout his trajectory. He taught in a government middle school in his village from 2014 to 2017 and continued his educational pursuits post the 2017 Rohingya crisis. After relocating to Bangladesh, he taught at Knowledge Garden Academy up to now. In 2022, he earned a degree in political science through an online undergraduate program at Yangon Cosmopolitan University. He later received a UNHCR scholarship to complete online courses and further enriched his academic credentials with a diploma in Critical Thinking and Analysis Skills at Brac University. His dedication to education led him to work as a peace-building and social cohesion researcher with BRAC University. He facilitated the Language, Image, and Analytical Thinking program at OSUN Refugee and Host Community-led Research Hub at Brad College in the US, part of the Open Society University Network in 2022 to 2024. Currently, he works as a professional medical, legal social and business interpreter and transcriber.
An advocate for Rohingya youth empowerment, Ahtaram founded a Rohingya youth club and holds pivotal roles at the Rohingya Community Development Campaign. He conducted a deep skills building workshop in 2024 to develop writing skills and journalism. He oversees editorial content and supports project activities at Rohingyatographer Magazine and runs two news bloggers. He also contributes as a senior cultural researcher, storyteller and organises cultural programs at the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre, an IOM initiative.
Ahtaram's poetic prowess is evident in his contributions to the anthology "I am a Rohingya." A prolific writer, his articles are published in renowned platforms like The New Humanitarian, Amnesty International, Dhaka Tribune, The Diplomat, Reuters, New internationalist and others. He was selected "Insight Award for Visual Journalism" at INN small division finalist.
He currently has a poetry book awaiting publication.
In Ahtaram's words, “My dedication to social work and peace-building underlines my advocacy for marginalised communities and youth empowerment. My aim is to leverage my voice and skills for a just, equitable society.
See below a list of his contributions and published works:
2025
New Internationalist. Surviving a massacre in Myanmar
2024
Pivot Quebec: Rohingya: the survival of a language in exile
The Voices of People. The Rohingya are being targeted by both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army
BBC. Jersey exhibition to show life in the Rohingya refugee camp
The New Humanitarian. Rohingya trapped in the middle of Myanmar’s escalating conflict
The New Humanitarian. After the latest blaze in their lawless refugee complex, Rohingya ask: Where’s the support?
2023
Daily Star. Why the Rohingya seek hope across high seas
Dinkum Journal of Social Innovations (Vol. 2 No. 09). Human Trafficking and the Rohingya Migration: Understanding the experiences of Vulnerable Refugees
The New Humanitarian. Why Cyclone Mocha should end talk of sending Rohingya like me home
Daily Star. Prioritise the Rohingya’s safety and well-being
Dhaka Tribune. Where is our protection?
The National. Tens of thousands of Rohingya protest over ration cuts and forced repatriation claims
Courrier. The wish for peace of Rohingya refugees struggling to revive their lost memory and culture
2022
Amnesty International. Bangladesh: “Engage with us to find a durable solution”
The New Humanitarian. For us Rohingya, fire is just the latest danger. Stop ignoring us
The New Humanitarian. Why we Rohingya want to save our refugee-run schools
PalGrave, Macmillan. Masks of Authoritarianism: Hegemony, Power and Public Life in Bangladesh
2021
Dhaka Tribune. Farewell Comrade Mohibullah
The New Humanitarian. Life at disaster’s edge: What it means to start over – again and again
Dhaka Tribune. The Rohingya and Palestinian crises, compared
2019
ARC Publications. I am Rohingya
Wattpad. Sorrow
ILL AT EASE
I'm a bird in cage
No free from risk
In daytime sun radiant
At night the wind of storm
I get tired in saving my life
Yet I am trash for tomorrow
Just ill at ease!
SMILE
Even when I'm stressed or anxious
I never lose my smile
The situation around me is terrible
My community is drowning in an ocean of depression
As a leader, I try to encourage them with my smile
The power of a smile is immeasurable
The beauty of a smile is as bright as the stars
The sweetness of a smile can bring tranquility
Even to the heart of a prisoner
The radiance of a smile can spread for miles
Smiles show innocence and increase friendship
They are a powerful weapons for love
A smile can pause a thousand tears
It takes away many fears
TREAT ME WITH LOVE
From cradle to the grave
Am I legitimate victim of the genocide?
Is it my destiny and fault?
Don't treat me as a toy bird
I fled your country
Not for permanence
Don't treat me as animal
Probably I disorganized your rules
But indeed internalize
I'm your backyard like afterglow
Perhaps you don't know
I am ageless beauty of your surrounding
Planting and gardening around your house
Only seasonal beauty
Even they bear buds, flower and fruits
I am inviolate beauty of your surrounding
Treat me with love
I have own dignity and respect
See my beauty in my body and soul
Treat me kindly because your compassionate voices might make me peace
Speak up words of gentleness and balance acts
I used to remember those conversations
When I will be my country
I've a land where I was born
That always welcomes me willy-nilly
I am hungry and dying to go back there
No longer you can find to see my face
My clock, my time is almost going to stick
As long as our luck bestows here,
Show me compassion and kindness
As your family and neighbour
As your soulmate and buddy
As your sibling and offspring
As your nephew and niece
TEACHER'S DAY
Let the environment
Be your teacher
You will learn
How to adopt by it
Let the creatures
Be your field to study
You will learn
A different aspect of life
Let the ocean
Be your vision
You'll learn
The feature of diversity
Let the stars
Be your aspirations
You will learn
The beauty of co-occur
Let the nature
Be your teacher
You will learn
The righteous path life!