Rohingyas will be shifted to Bhasan Char, Hasina tells UN boss

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has shared the government plan with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to rehabilitate Rohingya refugees at Thengar Char (Bhasan char) in Hatia until they are sent back to Myanmar as per the Prime Minister's directive.

The Prime Minister put up the issue on the table on Sunday while she sat with the UN boss at Prime Minister Office, the visiting World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.  Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, PM's Adviser Dr Towfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam were, among others, present during the meeting.

The Bangladesh government on February 5 announced its plan to relocate thousands of Rohingya as stranded on its territory to Thengar Char in Hatiya in the Bay of Bengal and sought financial support from the UN and the international community for the relocation project.
Earlier, Bangladesh government shared the idea with IOM Direct General Lacy Swing on October 16, 2017.

To implement the idea, Bangladesh has sought an effective role from the international community and the United Nations in finding a permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis as the Myanmar government push the Rohingyas since 78, 90 and 2016 and 2017, and raised the issue to the UN, OIC and international community but failed to reach a solution.

During the meeting, Prime Minister told them that the government is preparing an island to relocate around 100,000 Rohingyas where they will get better living condition and livelihood opportunities, PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told the Daily Observer.

Knowing the exact situation in two camps at Cox's Bazar, Antonio Guterres said that the main concern of them (UN) is the radicalisation of education system of Rohingyas and emphasised checking this element.

"Bangladesh are experiencing adverse impacts as over one million people have taken shelter in Bangladesh�we've to look into their problem as well, and we're doing that." Sheikh Hasina said mentioning that Bangladesh has given shelter to 1.1 million Rohingyas only on humanitarian ground and providing various services, including healthcare," quoting PM, the press secretary said.

Explaining the projects ins and outs and justifying the objectivity of the government plan, PM told the UN top boss that the deal signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar, PM apprised them the dialogue between Bangladesh and Myanmar governments to repatriate the Rohingyas is yet to take any action for its implementation.

Earlier, the government put up the issue to the UN body while it sat with IOM Direct General Lacy Swing at a meeting to discuss Rohingya issue in Dhaka.

"The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has assured the government of providing all sorts of assistance in shifting Rohingyas to Bhasan Char in Noakhali," Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya made this announcement following the meeting with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"UN agencies and NGOs are now supporting the idea as they said that Replying that Rohingyas are still coming across..We've to prepare for all over there. We've to take into consideration how we manage this," IOM DG said.

The government allocates about 2,000 acre land in Ukhia for sheltering Rohingyas. There are 24,000 Rohingyas in Ukhia at present. Apart from this Rohingya, there are many other Rohingya people who are staying scattered in different areas, he said.

Bangladesh established two refugee camps in Cox's Bazar Ukhiya and Teknaf, a home to nearly 34,000 Rohingya refugees before this influx. But the on going census on Rohingya people has been stopped following the recent incident, according to the Foreign Ministry sources.

When the government disclose the idea for shifting of the Rohingyas to Thengar Char as it need to be isolated the people from Bangladeshi people than the international community specially the NGOs raised their voice against the idea."This is a question of trying to reach understanding. We've a very good roadmap forwarded by the Commission on Rakhine state, which was chaired by Kofi Annan," he added.

Bangladesh Navy is working at Bhasan Char to accommodate Rohingyas since November 2016, however, IOM has assured of providing all sorts of assistance for shifting the camp to Bhasan Char in Noakhali although the right groups disagree with the proposal.

"Kulupalong camp, located on 3,000 acres of land, is a temporary one. We've started works in Bhasan Char...," said Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya on Tuesday.

"This is a question of trying to reach understanding. We've a very good roadmap forwarded by the Commission on Rakhine state, which was chaired by Kofi Annan," IOM Direct General Lacy Swing said.

However, Guterres highly praised the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh, measures taken to counter terrorism and disaster management and steps over dealing with climate change.

"Bangladesh is one of the most successful counties in disaster management," he said.