Relocation starts in Dec

The much-talked-about relocation of Rohingya refugees to Bhasanchar Island on the southern tip of Noakhali will start next month (December).

The island, having a land area of 13,000 acres, has been transformed into a secure place for human habitation with all modern facilities, including schools, mosques, community clinics, and even internet, in place.

Now it has 1,440 houses, each having the capacity to accommodate 16 families.

The huge task of building all the infrastructures has been completed under a government project, initiated in 2017. The project work started in February 2018.

The Tk 30-billion project has been implemented by the Bangladesh Navy.

"We are ready to welcome the refugees, as the relocation is scheduled to start next month," Bhasanchar project director Commodore Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury told the FE.

The island was all set to receive the Rohingya refugees from the Cox's Bazar camps in 2019. But strong resistance from international development partners delayed the move.

Now the government is adamant to start the relocation, considering huge negative impact of the refugees on the socio-economic conditions of Cox's Bazar and its adjacent areas.

"We have finalised our decision, and will start the relocation process in December," Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen told the FE on Tuesday.

On the other hand, the 306 Rohingya refugees, who were rescued from the deep sea during their illegal migration to Malaysia and then brought to Bhasanchar, will be sent to Cox's Bazar camps.

While visiting the island extensively, this correspondent found various rows of tin-shed buildings constructed in a planned way. The buildings have kitchen, washroom and bedroom for each family.

There are cyclone shelters and ponds in each block of buildings. The four-story cyclone shelters are built to ensure safety of the refugees during natural calamities. The project also provides water and power supply round the clock.

Commodore Mamun also said the project is built on 1,702 acres of land, of which the building clusters cover 432 acres.

"There are 918 acres of land more, which can be utilised also, if we want to extend the project further."

In the Bay of Bengal, Bhasanchar is surrounded by three other island areas - Hatia on the south, Swarnadip on the east, and Sandwip on the northeast.

"So communication to and from the island is not that much difficult, as alleged by many."

Commodore Mamun noted that the Rohingya refugees will be relocated to Bhasanchar on a temporary basis.

Actually the project is aimed at providing shelter to distressed people. So, when the refugees will be repatriated to Myanmar, the island will be home of thousands of homeless people of the country, he added.

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