Bangladesh remains determined to transfer 100,000 Rohingya refugees in temporary shelter to a remote island despite widespread opposition from rights groups and UN agencies.
The South Asian nation said it is set to initiate the relocation to the remote islet, 50 kilometers (31 miles) from its southwestern coast in December, citing “rising pressure” on the tourist hub of Cox’s Bazar, where 1.2 million Rohingya refugees are currently housed in camps.
#Bangladesh donated funds worth $500,000 on Saturday to support Gambia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to secure rights for the persecuted #Rohingya https://t.co/pnBOqb7Mgx
— Towhid Rahman (@RahmanTowhid) November 28, 2020
A new list of food and non-food items for initiating the relocation process of Rohingya to Bhasan Char Island has been proceeded by the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner's (RRRC).
“Our target is to relocate some 100,000 refugees in phases. We want to shift some of them [Rohingya] as early as possible, and we want to avail advantage of the approaching winter season to this effect,” said Md. Delwar Hossain, head of the Myanmar wing of Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry.
“We don’t rule out the possibility of beginning the relocation to the islet in December, considering the friendly weather in winter for such a voyage,” he told Anadolu Agency. He did not mention a date or number but confirmed the figure must be “small in number” in initial phases.
But the Dhaka Tribune newspaper quoted official sources saying that more than 1,200 Rohingyas from 500 families living in camps in Ukhia and Teknaf of Cox's Bazar will be relocated to Bhasan Char in the first week of December.
Bangladesh has developed 120 cluster villages in Bhasan Char, spending 23 billion Bangladeshi takas ($272 million) to accommodate 100,000 Rohingya in the first phase.
The island is accessible only by boat and remains isolated during rough weather.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
