Foreign Ministry: Rohingya relocation voluntary, transparent

The relocation of Rohingya diaspora to Bhashan Char duly followed the principle of voluntariness and was conducted with utmost transparency.

The move was part of the government efforts to ensure a reasonable habitat for the time being of the refugees and derisk their crowded abodes posing numerous challenges, said a press release the Ministry of Foreign affairs issued on Wednesday.

It said the government has plan to shift all the 1,00,000 Rohingyas to the newly built location.

Of the total, the first batch of 1,642 went to Bhashan Char on 4 December while the second batch comprised of 1,804 on 29 December.

There was no question of the use of force, intimidation or the use of money to influence the relocation decision of the Rohingya refugees, who rather moved to the island willingly, added the release. 

The relocation took place in the presence of the media, civil society and NGOs that raised no question about the issue, the foreign ministry statement said, adding that when interviewed, the Rohingyas said they were encouraged by the positive reports on Bhashan Char where their relatives had already been. 

According to the release, the government would like to re-emphasise that the 30-year-old island is completely safe and suitable for human habitation that has all the amenities including healthcare, potable water, options for economic activities, cyclone shelters, etc.

In order for ensuring safety and security of the Rohingyas in the island, there is the round-the-clock CCTV coverage alongside the deployment of law enforcement agencies.

The 12.1-kilometre-long island was developed as per the design and recommendation of the British Firm HR Wallingford.

Flood and shore protection measures are strong enough for the vicinity to withstand massive tidal waves and the installation of hydrographic monitoring and warning system will be able to provide early warning on any natural hazards and enable prior evacuation, according to the source.

The strength of the infrastructure at Bhashan Char and its disaster protection measures have been tested during the deadly cyclone AMPHAN.

The government is also mulling over the issue of including the large number of diaspora in various income-generating activities temporarily.

The press release of the foreign ministry also said the government is dismayed at the misinformation spread by some vested interests about Bhashan Char and the relocation process.

The government stresses that the problem is created by Myanmar and its solution lies solely with Myanmar.

The UN should send a technical and protection assessment team to Myanmar to assess the situation in Myanmar and also to see the preparation for repatriation on the ground, according to the release of the Ministry of Foreign affairs.  

It emphasised that Rohingyas are Myanmar nationals being hosted by Bangladesh solely temporarily purely out of humanitarian gesture.

The release adds that the election in Myanmar is over and the international community should engage in the efforts of quick repatriation of these displaced Myanmar nationals to their homeland.