More 1804 Rohingyas reach Bhasan Char from Ctg

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The second batch of 1804 Rohingyas reached Bhasan Char in Hatiya upazila of Noakhali from city’s Patenga Boat Club under the supervision of the Bangladesh Navy today 24 days after the first group went there, BSS reports.

Earlier, the Rohingya people came to Patenga from Ukhiya Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazar and started their journey on five naval ships for Bhasan Char at 9.20 this morning after an overnight stay at a temporary transit camp at the BAF Shaheen College.

The first batch of 1642 Rohingyas arrived at Bhasan Char under the Bangladesh Navy’s supervision on December 4 last, naval force sources said.

Alak Biswas, additional deputy commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan police, told BSS that the second batch of 1804 Rohingyas reached Bhasan Char at 11.30 am today from city’s Patenga Boat Club on five naval ships.

Around one lakh Rohingyas will go to Bhasan Char in phases, sources said. As part of it, in the first phase, about 3,500 Rohingyas have already gone there, they said.

Food items have been stored in the char for three months as initially, cooked food will be provided to Rohingyas by NGO’s, sources added.

Representatives of 22 NGOs have already started their respective works at Bhasan Char to this end.

Jasmine Prema, chairperson of the Social Welfare and Development Organization, said that the government and 22 development agencies have been working to send Rohingyas to Bhasan Char who wants to go voluntarily.

Before boarding the ship, the Rohingyas were given tokens and keys of the allotted houses after various data entries, she said.

In addition to modern accommodation for the Rohingyas in Bhasan Char, educational institutions, hospitals, clinics and playgrounds have already been set up, she added.

Mohammad Samsuddauja, additional commissioner of the government’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Office, said that buffaloes, sheep, ducks and pigeons are being reared there for gearing up economic activities.

“Different types of vegetables are being planted. Paddy is also being cultivated experimentally there,” he added.

He said that cluster villages have been constructed in the project with the aim of accommodating one lakh one thousand 360 Rohingyas. The number of houses is 1,440 in 120 cluster villages, he added.

He went on saying that the government has provided infrastructure of 120 cluster villages on the 13,000-acre of char land at a cost of Tk 3095 crore with its own fund to accommodate more than one lakh Rohynga people.