Within the month in the second phase, another group of Rohingya refugees reached the Bhasan Char island settlement in Noakhali Tuesday with hopes for a better future.
On this day, the authorities started a music club and sports club for the Rohingyas, the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals or FDMN, at the opening ceremony of which, several officials of different organisations were present.
In this phase, 1804 Rohingyas have been relocated, more than previously estimated as many Rohingyas are interested to move to the new island settlement from squeezy camps in Cox's Bazar, officials said.
The relocation to Bhasan Char has got impetus, said Rear Admiral Mozzamel Haque, Head of Chattogram Naval area of the Bangladesh Navy. No country in the world has taken such a dynamic initiative for refugees.
He also said authorities are not interfering in Rohingyas deciding to relocate in Bhasan Char.
On Tuesday morning, the Rohingyas started for Bhasan Char on four ships from Boat Club jetty in Patenga area of Chattogram. Another ship 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 Monday.
Out of 1804 Rohingyas, there are 433 male, 523 female and 848 children. Senior Navy officers bade farewell to the Rohingyas at the Chattogram Boat Club. And Bhasan Char Project Director Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury welcomed them to the island settlement.
The government built a settlement, under Bangladesh Navy supervision, with modern facilities for 100 thousand Rohingyas in Bhasan Char at the cost of TK 3000 crore with the support of British consultant firm Wallingford and Chinese firm Sino- Hydro.
Commodore Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury, Project Director of Bhasan Char shelter Project told Bangladesh Post, “They are very much interested to relocate to Bhasan Char for the better future of their children. Many enlisted themselves in Cox’s Bazar to relocate here.
Basically, those who have more children are interested to move here. All kinds of facilities are being ensured for them, said Mamun Choudhury, Looking at the Rohingyas who have come this time, it is clear that all the families with more children have come.”
While on the way to Bhasan Char, the onboard Rohingya children looked on in surprise at the surroundings and the big merchant ships at Chattogram Port.
Many were seen happily showing the surroundings to their relatives on live video calls. Some teen Rohingyas boys and girls were taking photos and videos.
Omar Hamza (35) said he was informed about Bhasan Char from his relatives who came here in the first phase, I willingly decided to come to the island, he added.
I heard of the government initiatives to educate our children, said a father of five, “the government has also promised to develop our livelihood through different farming activities.”
Rohingyas moving to Bhasan Char were carrying domestic animals like ducks, chickens, and pigeons.
Bangladesh has had to accommodate nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar—one of the poorest and most densely populated places on the planet—after they were uprooted by successive waves of violence across the border in Myanmar. In 2017, more than 730,000 members of the Muslim minority group fled a military-led campaign of rape, murder, and arson that is currently the subject of a genocide trial.
Concrete housing blocks, solar panels, roads, and a mobile phone network are reportedly installed on Bhasan Char, the areas are also secured with a 13KM long flood and tide control embankment.
The first batch 1642 Rohingya refugees was shifted to the new shelter in Bhasan Char earlier this month that has created a new impression.
On reaching Bhasan Char, Amina Khatun(60) a trained midwife of Balukhali Camp in Cox’s Bazar said, ”Now we can enjoy a pleasing life here, but we were in multiple sufferings in the camps where there is no space to move. Different types of gangs were disturbing us for months, No peace is present in camp life.
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 Rohingya became interested in moving to the new island settlement.
Authorities had a plan to relocate 700-1000 Rohingyas on Tuesday. But more Rohingyas reached the transit station willingly and offered themselves for relocation, so the number of Rohingyas increased.
Although two groups of Rohingya refugees have come to Bhasan Char, international organizations, including the United Nations, which are providing all the basic humanitarian facilities in Cox's Bazar camp, have not started working on Bhasan Char.
A total of 28 local NGOs are trying to provide basics, said Jesmin Prema, Chairman of SKUS, a local NGO, we also provide items for education, school, and recreation.