Bangladesh will relocate 100,000 Rohingyas in two months

Send
Cox’s Bazar Correspondent,
Published : 23:52, May 19, 2018 | Updated : 00:08, May 20, 2018

A Rohingya refugee child looks at the vill from a hill at Unchiparang refugee camp, near Cox`s Bazar, Bangladesh January 11, 2018. REUTERSAs many as 100,000 Rohingyas will be relocated to a remote island within two months, says a Bangladesh government official.
Over 1 million Rohingyas, who have fled persecution in neighbouring Myanmar, now live in teeming and squalid camps in southeastern Cox’s Bazar after some 700,000 crossed the border in the last eight months.
Bangladesh has already cleared a Tk 23.12 billion plan to build housing in the island of Bhasan Char in Noakhali’s Hatia aiming to move a portion of Rohingyas.



“About 1.33 million Rohingyas have taken shelter in camps at Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya and Teknaf and around 32 thousand of them are in risk due to natural calamities. We have already moved five thousand families,” Disaster and Relief Management Secretary SM Shah Kamal said.
Disaster Management Secretary SM Shah Kamal at Cox`s Bazar on Saturday.The senior official travelled to Cox’s Bazar, where he launched a disaster drill for the Rohingyas under army supervision.
He said the administration was prepared to safeguard the Rohingyas from possible flash floods and landslides during the upcoming monsoon.
“A good amount of deforestation happened as the Rohingyas tool shelter on the hills. We will go for a forestation after relocating Rohingyas to Bhashan Char,” said Kamal.
Bhashan Char, also known as Thengar Char, is 10,000 acres at high tide and 15,000 acres at low tide. No-one lives on the island, which is mostly used for cattle grazing.
In 2013, the area was declared a forest reserve. Motor boats are the only mode of travel to the river islands. It takes between three to three-and-a-half hours to travel to Hatia.
Last year, a Reuters report called the island dangerous for habitation, saying it was prone to bandit attacks, floods and cyclones.

/zmi
Top