Bangladesh set to maneuver 2nd batch of Rohingya refugees to distant island – officers

Bangladesh is ready to maneuver a second batch of Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar to the distant island of Bhasan Char within the Bay of Bengal this month, officers stated on Sunday, regardless of calls by rights teams to not perform additional relocations.
Around 1,000 Rohingya refugees, members of a Muslim minority who’ve fled Myanmar, will probably be moved to the island within the subsequent few days after Bangladesh relocated greater than 1,600 early this month, two officers with the direct data of the matter stated.
“They will be moved to Chittagong first and then to Bhasan Char, depending on the high tide,” one of many officers stated. The officers declined to be named as the problem had not been made public.
Mohammed Shamsud Douza, the deputy Bangladesh authorities official answerable for refugees, stated the relocation was voluntary. “They will not be sent against their will.”
The United Nations has stated it has not been allowed to hold out a technical and security evaluation of Bhasan Char, a flood-prone island within the Bay of Bengal, and was not concerned within the switch of refugees there.
Bangladesh says it’s transferring solely people who find themselves keen to go and the transfer will ease continual overcrowding in camps which are dwelling to greater than 1 million Rohingya.
But refugees and humanitarian staff say a number of the Rohingya have been coerced into going to the island, which emerged from the ocean 20 years in the past.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdul Momen instructed Reuters earlier this month the United Nations ought to first assess and confirm how conducive the atmosphere in Myanmar’s Rakhine state was for repatriating the refugees, earlier than finishing up an evaluation of Bhasan Char.
Several makes an attempt to kickstart repatriation of Rohingya to Myanmar have failed after refugees stated they have been too afraid of additional violence to return.