More Rohingya refugees start for Bhasan Char

A second batch of Rohingya refugees was set for Noakhali’s Bhasan Char from Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya upazila on Monday.

A total of 13 buses start the journey from Ukhiya Degree College field at around 11:30am.

The first batch of Rohingyas started for the island on 3 December amid opposition against the move by international rights groups.

The Bangladesh government planned to relocate some 100,000 Rohingyas to the island, aiming to ease the pressure on Cox's Bazar camps.

The Rohigyas who were interested to go to Bhasan Char have been brought at Ukhiya College ground by minibuses in the morning from different camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf. They were later provided food amid the presence of the police and medical team.

An official of Rohigya repatriation commissioner's office said around one thousand Rohingyas might be moved to Bhasan Char today. Over 450 Rohigyas in 13 buses have been taken in the first phase.

Bangladesh set up housing and other facilities at the char at a cost of Tk 23.13 billion.

In September, a total of 40 Rohingya leaders, including two women, went to Bhasan Char to see facilities there. Media reported that the delegation primarily expressed their satisfaction over the facilities in Bhasan Char.

Bangladesh is currently hosting more than 1.1 million Rohingyas in camps in Cox's Bazar district. Most of them fled to Bangladesh in late August 2017 when the Myanmar army and their local collaborators launched a brutal offensive targeting them.