More Rohingyas off to Bhasan Char

The relocation of over 2,010 Rohingya to Bhasan Char in Noakhali from Chattogram began on Monday morning.

At around 10:00am, five ships of Bangladesh Navy started from Chattogram Boat Club to the island where Bangladesh government installed facilities for the forcibly displaced Myanmar people.

According to Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) office, earlier a total of 6,688 Rohingya people were relocated to the island in three phases.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, a Rohingya man named Abdur Rahim said six members of his family are going to Bhasan Char.

He said they have taken the decision voluntarily after already relocated Rohingya people informed them of better facilities at Bhasan Char.

The Rohingyas were taken to Chattogram from camps at Cox’s Bazar on Sunday.

On 4 December 2020, 1,642 people were shifted to Bhasan Char in the first phase while 1,804 were relocated on 29 December. In the third phase, 3,242 Rohingyas were relocated on 29-30 January.

Bhasan Char

Located 34 kilometres off the mainland, the island surfaced 20 years ago and was never inhabited.

Contractors say its infrastructure is like a modern township, with multifamily concrete homes, schools, playgrounds and roads. It also has solar-power facilities, a water supply system and cyclone shelters.

The island has all modern amenities and recently a police station was set up there.

The government has provided infrastructure of 120 cluster villages on the 13,000-acres of char land at a cost of Tk 30.95 billion (3,095 crore) with its own fund to accommodate more than 100,000 Rohingya people.