After much controversy, a group of Rohingyas who have taken refuge in Ukhia and Teknaf in Cox's Bazar are going to Bhasanchar. If all goes well, a group of 500 Rohingyas will leave for Bhasanchar on Thursday. The transfer process is starting by sending those who have volunteered to go.

Temporary transit points have been set up at the Ukhia College ground to transport Rohingyas from 34 camps at Ukhia-Teknaf in Cox's Bazar to Bhasanchar. Multiple cloth pandals and booths have been set up in the field. Although the administration in charge did not want to open its mouth in this regard, the massive arrangement to take the Rohingyas to Bhasanchar is eye-catching.

Relevant sources said, this morning

The relocation of Rohingyas from Ukhia College ground to Bhasanchar may begin. Necessary transport facilities and food items have been stockpiled for this purpose. Earlier, a delegation of 22 NGOs visited the island in the Bay of Bengal to discuss Rohingya relocation activities. 66 tons of food items have been stored for the Rohingyas who want to go to Bhasanchar.

Mohammad Hossain, head of Camp-20, said six Rohingya families from Camp-20 and Extension 20 have been enrolled to move to Bhasanchar. Mohammad Noor, headmaster of Camp-17, said that although 70 families were named from his camp, 8 families had agreed to go to Bhasanchar. Jafar Alam, head of Camp-5, said that 5 Rohingya families are willing to go to Bhasanchar from this camp.

Meanwhile, the common people of Ukhia-Teknaf are expressing relief over the news that 1 lakh Rohingyas are finally going to Bhasanchar. Before the Rohingyas took Bhasanchar, representatives of 22 NGOs visited Bhasanchar and expressed satisfaction over the government's planned arrangements. They assured cooperation in taking the Rohingyas to Bhasanchar.

Meanwhile, 14 naval ships have been kept ready to take the Rohingyas from Cox's Bazar to Chittagong and from there to Bhasanchar. The first two months they will be provided with cooked food. Then they will be able to cook at their respective residences.

The island has recently been visited by Pulse Bangladesh Society, Kuwait Society for Relief, Friendship, SAWB, Sharjah Charity International: Bangladesh, Global Development Organization, Al Manahil Welfare, Sony International, Alhaj Shamsul Haq Foundation, Health the Nidi Charity, Health the Nidi Charity Bangladesh, Social Welfare Development Organization (SCSA), Social Aid, CDD, Mukti-Cox's Bazar, Voluntary Organization for Social Development, RTM International, Multi Serv International, Allama Faizullah Foundation, Public Health Center and Health and Education. These NGOs have also started working there.

According to sources, more than 3,000 Rohingyas have agreed to leave their homes in the hills of Ukhia and Teknaf and move to Bhasanchar. However, refugee, relief and repatriation commissioner Shah Rezwan Hayat told the media that four to five thousand Rohingyas have expressed interest.

Houses with all facilities have been constructed for the Rohingyas at Bhasanchar, floating in the middle of the sea at Hatia in Noakhali. There are also special measures to protect against storm surges. Last September, the government took 40 Rohingya leaders, including two women, to see the accommodation. They are fascinated by the housing system in Bhasanchar. They return to the camp and inspire others to go to Bhasanchar. Two years ago, the government decided to relocate one lakh Rohingyas to Bhasanchar. But it was not possible due to their reluctance.

Many Rohingyas interested in going to Bhasanchar said they agreed to go and live there after hearing the descriptions from Rohingya leaders who returned after visiting Bhasanchar. According to them, Bhasanchar will be much safer than living in a hilly slum. Apart from this, the infrastructure built for the Rohingyas to live in Bhasanchar seems to have much more modern facilities.

Seeing the positive attitude of Rohingyas to go to Bhasanchar without any force, the government took effective steps to send them there. The government is hopeful that more families will be interested in moving to Bhasanchar if the first batch of Rohingyas can be sent safely to Bhasanchar.

UN statement

The United Nations has called on the government to ensure that Rohingyas can make independent decisions on their way to Bhasanchar from the Cox's Bazar camp. The agency said in a statement on Wednesday that the UN had no involvement in the government's finalized plan to relocate the Rohingya to Bhasanchar. The UN was not involved in the preparatory process for the transfer or in the process of identifying the Rohingya. The United Nations does not have enough information about the overall migration process.

The statement said the UN has always called on the Rohingya to make independent decisions based on relevant, accurate and up-to-date information on relocation. Even in the current situation, the United Nations is emphasizing on this issue. Earlier, the Bangladesh government said that the relocation of Rohingyas to the island would be voluntary. The United Nations is urging the government to honor this important commitment. The statement also said that the Rohingyas relocated to Bhasanchar would be provided with education, health care and livelihood security as well as freedom of movement from the island to the mainland.

Proposing talks on relocation, the UN said that since the announcement of the Bhasanchar project by the Bangladesh government, the UN has proposed constructive talks to create a better understanding of the plan and to consider important policy, methodological and implementation issues. The United Nations is still interested in continuing this discussion. The UN is also proposing to conduct a technical protection assessment in advance regarding the relocation to Bhasanchar.

In this context, the statement said, the UN's impartial assessment will include an overall review of the security, operational feasibility, sustainability and refugee protection framework of Bhasanchar as a refugee sanctuary, their assistance and service delivery infrastructure. The United Nations is ready to conduct a practical and safety assessment subject to government approval. These assessments will be considered as specific steps in determining whether the UN government will be able to engage in the implementation of the Bhasanchar project.

With the government's own funding at a cost of Tk 2,312 crore, infrastructure has been set up in 120 cluster villages in Bhasanchar with an area of ​​13,000 acres to accommodate more than one lakh people. More than three hundred Rohingyas returning from Malaysia have already been rescued from the sea and taken to Bhasanchar.