Within two months, and a third phase, another Rohingya group was taken from the Cox's Bazar camps to Bhasan Char settlement in Noakhali for a better future.
In the third phase, 1778 Rohingya men, women reached Bhasan Char around 12:30 pm on Friday.
On Friday morning, the Rohingyas started for Bhasan Char on four ships from the Boat Club jetty in Patenga area of Chattogram. Another three ships carried luggage and other belongings of the Rohingyas. Under tight security and heavy escort of law enforcers, 30 buses with Rohingyas arrived in Chattogram from the transit camp of Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar on Thursday.
The Rohingya were quite spontaneous and lively when they went on board for Bhasan Char. Many were seen happily showing their surroundings to their relatives through live video calls. Some teen Rohingyas boys and girls were photographing and videoing.
During the conversation with reporters, they said that they are going to Bhasan Char voluntarily to get rid of the miserable life of the crowded camp in Cox's Bazar.
Mohammad Selim, a Rohingya, said that he had taken refuge in Cox's Bazar with his family from the Rakhine state of Myanmar almost one and a half-decade ago.
We are going to Bhasan Char in the hope of a better life with the assurance of the government, he added.
Rohingyas approaching Bhasan Char were carrying domestic animals like ducks, chickens, and pigeons.
International organizations, including the United Nations, have not been involved in the Rohingya relocation process in Ethno Bhasan Char. However, this organization is responsible for feeding about one million Rohingyas living in Bangladesh.
Nurul Islam, a Rohingya, said they were going to Bhasan Char in the interest of their relatives who had already gone there.
There the government has ensured all kinds of living facilities for Rohingya, he added.
With this batch, more than five thousand Rohingyas have been transferred to Bhasan Char in three phases. Another group of Rohingyas is scheduled for Bhasan Char on Saturday. The government has already given the responsibility to the Rural Development Board to improve the living standard of the Rohingyas.
The Bangladesh government has started training on improving the living standard of Rohingyas in Bhasan Char. For this, the BRDB, the largest body of the government engaged in poverty alleviation, has been given the responsibility.
In the first phase, since last Wednesday, 250 Rohingyas have been given two-phase training. Two members of each Rohingya family living in Bhasan Char will receive this training.
The government has built a shelter for about one lakh Rohingyas in Bhasan Char, an island in the Bay of Bengal under Noakhali district.
Commodore Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury, Project Director of Bhasan Char shelter Project told this reporter, “They are very much interested to relocate to Bhasan Char for the better future of their children. Many have enlisted themselves in Coxs Bazar to relocate here.
The Rohingyas who came for the first time expressed satisfaction over the facilities of the island and advised their acquaintances to move there. As a result, many Rohingyas became interested in moving to the new island settlements.
There is enormous potential for agricultural cultivation and cattle rearing in Bhasan Char. Rohingyas have also expressed interest in getting involved in the work. The concerned ministries of government have taken the immediate initiative on how to exploit the potential of the Rohingyas.
Bhasan Char emerged around 20 years ago. The shelter project has been set up there at a cost of around Tk 3,000 crore for housing one lakh Rohingyas. Some 120 cyclone shelters were constructed under this shelter project. There is enough land for grazing thousands of cattle heads as the area and adjoining Islands are considered to be one of the largest cattle shelters in the country.
