Reclaiming Childhood: A School for Growth After Displacement

Aniqa Ibnat; Mohammed Zakiul Islam; Mizanur Rahman

doi:10.38027/ICCAUA2026EN0420

Authors

Aniqa Ibnat Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh
Mohammed Zakiul Islam Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh
Mizanur Rahman Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Dhaka, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.38027/ICCAUA2026EN0420

Keywords:

Internal displacement, Post-migration children, Climate change, Educational space, Child centric design, Bangladesh

Abstract

This study explores the capacity of space to facilitate resilience for post-displaced children in
Bangladesh. This resilience is designed to result from two main strategies: Recovery and Long
term Growth. With the rapid increase in internal migration, the current education system and
spaces must adapt to accommodate internally displaced (IDP) children. Through literature
review, field surveys, workshops, migration pattern mapping, curriculum analysis, context
analysis, pedagogical spatial characteristic analysis, and learning behavior analysis, eight
design principles have been derived to make space act as “The Third Teacher” in the context
of Bangladesh. Despite rural-to-urban migration being the majority among IDP children, there
is a gap in understanding their needs in educational and public spaces. This study gathers
demographic data, needs, and aspirations, translating them into guidelines for Recovery and
Long-term growth in educational spaces for IDP and host community children who have their
whole lives ahead of them after displacement.