2nd batch of Rohingyas leaves for Bhasan Char voluntarily today

The second batch of Rohingya refugees is set to leave camps in Cox's Bazar for Bhasan Char voluntarily on Monday.

Only those who are willing to go to Bhasan Char will be sent in three groups. The first group is ready to begin their journey to the island at noon, according to sources.

Buses carrying the refugees will leave for Chattogram in three groups from Ukhiya Degree College premises. Rohingyas from all 34 camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf, who want to go to Bhasan Char have started arriving at transit points from Sunday afternoon. The rest will come on Monday morning. There are necessary transport arrangements and food items in stock.

They will be taken to Chattogram Boat Club by 30 buses and 20 trucks in three groups from Ukhiya Degree College ground. From there, they will depart for Bhasan Char the next day (Tuesday) morning.

Temporary transit points have been set up at the Ukhiya College ground to relocate Rohingyas to Bhasan Char. Multiple cloth pandals and booths have been set up in the field.

No one in the administration is ready to talk about the Rohingya relocation. The Rapid Action Battalion-15 and other law enforcing agencies will be in charge of security, sources informed.

According to sources, only those who have voluntarily expressed interest in going to the island have been included in the process. The move will ease chronic overcrowding in camps that are home to more than 1 million Rohingya.

Around 1,000 Rohingya refugees will be moved to the island after Bangladesh relocated more than 1,642 on 4 December, two officials with direct knowledge of the matter said.

According to Majhis, many Rohingya families are willing to go to Bhasan Char. They are catching government managed buses at transit points.

On condition of anonymity, an official of an international non-government organisation (NGO), said there have been repeated allegations that Rohingyas are not going to Bhasan Char as NGOs are discouraging them from relocating to the island. So, this time NGOs have kept mum about the relocation.

"We will cooperate wherever the government relocates the Rohingyas to. We do not differ from what the Bangladesh government decides about them," he added.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Navy ships have been kept ready to take the Rohingyas from Cox's Bazar to Chattogram and from there to Bhasan Char.

Talking about the relocation of Rohingyas in the second phase, Ukhiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nizam Uddin Ahmed said the government has a policy-level decision not to disclose anything about it until the second batch boards a ship on the way to Bhasan Char.