The UN delegation has expressed satisfaction over the Bangladesh government’s relocation arrangements of Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char from Cox’s Bazar camps.
The delegation, led by Fumiko Kashiwar, United Nations Refugee agency HCR's Assistant Representative in Bangladesh, is inspecting various facilities at Bhasan Char as well as inquiring about what further assistance may be needed for Rohingyas at Bhasan Char, said Luis Denovan ,UNHCR spokesperson in Bangladesh.
“The delegation, including representatives of UN agencies engaged in humanitarian assistance to the Rohingyas, will stay at Bhasan Char till Friday”, she added.
The 18-member delegation's three-day visit to Bhasan Char, is beginning to alleviate the existing discomfort on relocation between the Rohingya refugees who have taken refuge in Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar, the Bangladesh government and the international community.
During the first two days (Wednesday and Thursday) of the visit, the UN delegation expressed satisfaction and put across the view that the Bhasan Char shelter built by the government at a cost of TK 3000 core, is a better settlement for the Rohingyas than Cox's Bazar camps.
Currently, around one million Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) are living in Cox’s Bazar, southern- eastern district of Bangladesh, of which 700 thousand came from Rakhine State after a brutal crackdown in 2017.
Since December 2020, the Bangladesh has started relocating one hundred thousand Rohingyas to Bhasan Char Island settlement under Noakhali district, and till this month, a total of 14032 Rohingyas have been relocated there.
On Wednesday afternoon, the delegation reached Bhasan Char by sea from Chattogram. On the first day of the visit, they met with Bangladeshi officials there and were briefed on the details of the Bhasan Char shelter project. On Thursday, they toured the entire project area and talked to the Rohingyas.
Sources said, the UN delegates are very much pleased to see the accommodation and facilities arranged by the Bangladesh government for Rohingyas. The delegates talked to Rohingya adults and children, with both sides seen laughing.
Delegates told Bangladeshi officials accompanying them that the planned housing arrangements here were not measurable as no one visited physically. This settlement is no doubt much better than the crowded camps in Cox's Bazar.
Although the UN is responsible for supplying the basic humanitarian needs of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the global organization has been silent on the issue of Rohingyas relocation from Cox's Bazar to Bhasan Char, an island of Noakhali district which emerged around 20 years ago.
Under the supervision of The Bangladesh Navy the shelter project has been set up there with the assistance of British consultant farm HR Wallingford and Chinese firm Sinohydro for housing one lakh Rohingyas. Some 120 cyclone shelters including health and education facilities were constructed under this shelter project.
The entire settlement has been protected from floods and tidal disasters with a 13 km- long embankment with a modern flood control system.
There is enough land for grazing thousands of cattle head in the area and adjoining Islands are considered to be one of the largest cattle shelters in the country. And the Rohingyas relocated to Bhasan Char are also being given the opportunity to improve their livelihood through farming.
The United Nations was repeatedly called upon by the Bangladesh government and the Rohingyas to get involved in the relocation process. But even if they remained silent on the matter, it is expected that they will finally decide what to do after visiting Bhasan Char. The Ministry of External Affairs is coordinating their visit to Bhasan Char.
“This is an important step in understanding between the Government of Bangladesh and the UN on Rohingya refugee, Rezwan Hayat, Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner RRRC, head of the Rohingya refugee management in the field told this reporter, “the visit of the UN envoy was desirable, it was necessary for the Rohingya and the government of Bangladesh.“
The Rohingyas who are residing at Bhasan Char have expressed satisfaction over the facilities of the island and advised their acquaintances in Cox’s Bazar Camps to move there. As a result, many Rohingyas got interested in moving to the new island settlements. They are very happy to have a UN delegation at Bhasan Char.
Mohammad Mizan, a Rohingya community leader at Bhasan Char told this reporter, this is another opportunity for Rohingyas at Bhasan Char to build themselves up. It strengthens the Bangladesh government's efforts for Rohingyas.
Though the Bangladesh government provides us enough food and other supplies, this is the UN’s responsibility to provide us basic humanitarian supply which may start very soon, Mizan hoped.
Without support of the UN and international body Bangladesh government has launched various programmes to improve the living standards and livelihood of the Rohingyas who have gone to Bhasan Char. A total of 45 local NGOs are working to provide basics including education, school, and recreation.
In July 2019, UN Special Rapporteur on Rohingya Yan Lee visited Bhasan Char. In March, a high-level delegation from the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) visited Bhasan Char.
