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About one lakh refugees were to be accommodated in an islet in the Bay of Bengal
Bangladesh has delayed the planned relocation of a part of the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to an islet in the Bay of Bengal, sources said here on Tuesday. The Bangladesh Navy has been building a facility to house the population that was displaced from the Rakhine province of Myanmar following a violent campaign by the country’s military. “A major part of the camp is done. But approximately 30% work remains to be completed,” said a source here, indicating that the facility in the remote islet of Bhashan Char will take some more time to be operational. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was expected to inaugurate the facility on October 3 but now the officials say that another day will have to be found for the inauguration. Once completed, the facility is likely to accommodate more than a lakh Rohingya refugees.
Overcrowded camps
Earlier, it was planned to move the refugees to the islet in June, before the beginning of the monsoon season. But the rainy season is almost over and the Rohingya have spent more than a year in the overcrowded camp on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. The Bhashan Char facility has been criticised by human rights groups as it is known to be flood-prone and hazardous. The islet is of recent origin and falls in the way of powerful storms that visit Bangladesh during the pre-monsoon season. More importantly, Rohingya community leaders are not convinced about the relocation of the government.
“It is cut off from the mainland. What if someone needs emergency medical attention,” Rohingya community leader Abdul Gowffer was quoted by the media.
Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/bangladesh-delays-relocation-of-rohingya/article25106982.ece
