Bangladesh Relocates Rohingya Refugees to Remote Island

Dhaka, MINA – Bangladesh on Monday began relocating a second batch of Rohingya refugees to a remote island amid concerns from human rights groups.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency by phone, a Rohingya refugee who will be relocated said 15 buses carrying nearly 1,000 refugees began their journey to the southern port of Bangladesh City of Chottogram of Cox’s Bazar on Monday afternoon.

“We hope Bangladesh will keep its commitment to us to provide better life opportunities with freedom of movement, income coverage, health care and education,” he said, choosing not to be named.

As with the previous relocation, members of the 2nd group will also stay at the Chottogram and sail to Bhasan Char island by sea by navy ship on Tuesday morning.

“We are fully prepared to welcome newcomers to Bhasan Char. We hope that by Tuesday night they will arrive, ”Commodore Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury, Director of the Rehabilitation Project for Bhasan Char Rohingya Camp, told Anadolu Agency.

In line with the government’s plan, he said, arrangements had been made to relocate 100,000 Rohingya refugees on Bhasan Char island.

“In the first batch we received 1,642 Rohingya and we have put them there, and now we are waiting to receive another batch of less than 1,000,” he said.

Conditions in overcrowded makeshift tents in shelters in the southeastern district of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, have prompted the country to develop new settlements for temporary relocation of refugees to peaceful and dignified repatriation of persecuted people to the home country of Rakhine state, Myanmar.

Rohingya, described by the UN as the world’s most persecuted citizens, have faced fear from attacks by the Myanmar side since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.

According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women, and children fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017.

Since August 25, 2017, nearly 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s state forces, according to a report by the Ontario Agency for International Development (OIDA). (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)