DW
03-12.2020
Bangladesh has transferred hundreds of Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char, a low-lying island in the Bay of Bengal prone to cyclones and floods. International aid groups complain they weren't involved in the move.
Rohingya board a ship on December 4 to Bhasan Char
On Thursday, hundreds of Rohingya refugees were seen boarding buses in front of refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, a coastal town near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
They were heavily guarded by security forces and barred from talking to journalists. Government officials, who were present at the site, have yet to give any official statement. Additional police forces were seen patrolling the area.
The refugees are being taken to Bhasan Char, which is Bengali for "floating island." It formed out of Himalayan silt flowing into the Meghna Estuary in the Bay of Bengal less than 20 years ago. Located 34 kilometers (21 miles) from mainland Bangladesh, Bhasan Char's geography makes it prone to cyclones and floods.
Read more: Does Myanmar soldiers' murder confession prove Rohingya genocide?
The island used to be regularly submerged by monsoon rains, but the Bangladeshi navy spent over $112 million (€92 million) to build flood protection, along with barracks, hospitals and mosques.
The government built these facilities with plans to accommodate 100,000 Rohingya refugees. However, this is just a fraction of the estimated 1 million who have fled violent persecution in their native Myanmar and are currently living in crowded, squalid refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.
The island used to be regularly submerged by monsoon rains, but the Bangladeshi navy spent over $112 million (€92 million) to build flood protection, along with barracks, hospitals and mosques.
The government built these facilities with plans to accommodate 100,000 Rohingya refugees. However, this is just a fraction of the estimated 1 million who have fled violent persecution in their native Myanmar and are currently living in crowded, squalid refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.
Nay San Lwin, Co-founder of Free Rohingya Coalition, thinks that the relocation process was not as transparent as had been promised by the government. He said some refugees even fled from the camps to avoid relocation.
"Some refugees complained that they were coerced into registering for relocation. Others were surprised to see their names on the list of those willing to go to the island as it had not been discussed with them before," he told DW.
"As I understood, the authorities have a list of refugees who are to be relocated. However, it's not clear how the list was made," Lwin added.
Read more: The voice of the Rohingya refugees
Bangladesh's unilateral relocation
As Bangladesh starts the relocation process, there is growing international pressure on Myanmar over the alleged persecution by its military of the Rohingya in the northeastern Rakhine state.
The Buddhist-majority country currently faces two separate lawsuits, one at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and another at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), for a 2017 military campaign that drove many Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh.
Experts told DW that Bangladesh's unilateral decision to relocate the refugees could shift international attention away from efforts to send them back to Myanmar.
Read more: Myanmar's Rohingya: A history of forced exoduses
"The Bangladesh government is actively reneging on its promise to the UN not to relocate any refugees to Bhasan Char island until humanitarian experts give a green light," said Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW.
"If the government was genuinely confident in the habitability of the island, they would be transparent and not hastily circumvent UN technical assessments," he told DW.
Inside Bangladesh's isolated 'Rohingya island'
Far from the mainland
Bhasan Char, which means "floating island" in Bengali language, emerged less than 20 years ago in the Bay of Bengal. The island is located 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) away from mainland Bangladesh. The government of the Muslim-majority country plans to relocate some 100,000 Rohingya refugees to this island from overcrowded Cox's Bazar refugee camps.
No easy transportation
There is no proper transport for the common people to go to the island. Some people told DW that the roughness of the sea makes it difficult to reach the island on boats during the monsoon season.
Inside Bangladesh's isolated 'Rohingya island'
Protected by embankment?
Protected by embankment?
The government has erected a 13-kilometer-long and 3-meter-high embankment to protect the island from high tides and floods. Still, the outer part of the embankment goes 3 to 4 feet underwater twice a month during high tides, according to the island's shopkeepers.
Inside Bangladesh's isolated 'Rohingya island'
Identical buildings
Identical buildings
The government has built 1,440 single-storey buildings, with 16 rooms in each, to house the Rohingya refugees. At least four members of a family have to live in a small room. 120 four-storey shelter houses are also available, to be used during cyclones.
Solar power for energy
All buildings at Bhasan Char are equipped with solar panels to fulfil their energy demands. A big solar field and two diesel generators for electricity have also been installed. The island has a rainwater harvesting system as well as tube wells to provide drinking water.
Protection from erosion
The silt island is called a "floating island" due to its unstable nature. Satellite images detected the island in 2002. Bangladeshi authorities have built a structure with pylons, gravel and sandbags to stop the erosion of the island.
Is the island uninhabitable?
While some experts say the island is still very fragile and uninhabitable, climate change specialist Ainun Nishat is of the opinion that people can live here if the embankment is heightened to 6.5 to 7 meters. However, he doesn't think that farming is possible on the island.
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Inside Bangladesh's isolated 'Rohingya island'Rohingya fear cyclone, drowningThe refugees fear they could die as a result of a cyclone if they are forcibly moved to the island. Many of their children could drown in the sea, they say.  Inside Bangladesh's isolated 'Rohingya island'Will Rohingya move there?While the island is almost ready to host Rohingya refugees, the government has yet to make a decision on transferring them to it. Several sources say the relocation could take place in November. The Bangladeshi government has hinted it might have to force the refugees to go there if no one chooses to leave the Cox's Bazar's refugee settlements.
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