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Photograph: MOHAMMAD PONIR HOSSAIN / X03850
In December, 1,600 Rohingya Muslims were transported by boat to their new home. 1000 new ones arrive on Tuesday.
The first thing you find are concrete flood barriers.
Then they see the “beacon of hope”, west of the island of Bhasan Char.
But there is not much hope for them on the desert island. On the contrary, nonprofits worry that they will get worse.
The plan is to relocate 100,000 Rohingya Muslims to a desert island in Bangladesh. Many worry that the countryside will turn into a death trap in bad weather.
About a million Rohingya have been forced to flee Myanmar. They live in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh. Now the plan to move 100,000 of them to Bhasan Char is in full swing.
– It is not very clear if the island is a place where it is possible to live. They don’t let international observers go, says Gerald Folkvord.
He is a political advisor to Amnesty International. They called for a total halt after the first 1,600 were flown to the island earlier this month. The island is highly exposed to cyclones and floods. Therefore, it was previously considered uninhabitable. The HRW organization also called for the relocation of refugees to the island to be completely stopped.
Amnesty has also spoken with refugees who are being transferred against their will. They have been forced and bribed. The Bangladeshi authorities have rejected it. They also claim to have insured well enough against floods.
– We can really hope it’s good enough. But we won’t know until the flood hits, Folkvord says.
Like a ghost town
There is great prestige in the field for the Bangladeshi authorities. Upon entering, the refugees pass a white mansion. It is reserved for the country’s president and other VIP guests when they conduct an inspection.
Soon after, they enter what currently looks like a ghost town. Most of the refugee camp remains an empty shell.
Several hundred low masonry buildings are laid out in a fixed pattern.
Inside there are empty bunks.
This will be the kitchen of the refugees.
– We hear through telephone conversations with the refugees that not all of them go voluntarily, as the authorities affirm. We hear stories of economic pressure, threats, and violence. Several families split in the first move and lose their networks, Folkvord says.
He emphasizes that Amnesty does not have access to the areas and therefore does not have the opportunity to verify the stories. Freelance journalist Shafiur Rahman has published similar testimonies the last days on Twitter. A woman tells him that his meals would have been taken away if he did not leave.
Chancellor AK Abdul Momen denies the allegations in a statement. He says the island is “100 times better” than the campgrounds on the mainland and “a beautiful resort.”
– They travel voluntarily. They are very anxious because they have heard from their relatives that Bhasan Char is excellent, says Momen.
Most of the Rohingya are now in the local Cox’s Bazar market. There they live in miserable conditions. The Bangladeshi authorities believe that conditions on the new island are much better. Photo: Mohammad Ponir Hossain / X03850
You think flood protection is good enough
The island of Bhasan Char is no more than 15 years old. It was formed by sediments carried out by the great rivers of the region. Soon, 1,440 buildings will be completed on the island, which is the size of Nøtterøy.
The idea is that the island takes some pressure off the camps on the mainland. Bangladesh believes that flood protection is good enough. But even if it were safe, the island does not represent a bright future, Folkvord believes.
– On the one hand, Bangladesh has made a great effort to ensure the survival of one million people. But they have not been willing to grant rights to people. They have actively hindered integration. The Rohingya stay away from the rest of society, they lack resources and information, he says.
Apparently the camp will not be a place to live, he believes.
– It will only be a place to survive. That is your future perspective.
Little hope
“The way the international community has handled our case, I don’t see a future in the camps,” refugee Serajul Islam told AFP.
He says that he voluntarily travels to Bhasan Char to meet relatives from the previous round. There he also believes that he will get better facilities, in which he hopes to live for the rest of his life.
Although Myanmar has promised that the Rohingya will be able to return, there is little indication that it is safe. The group is not yet recognized as a minority in the country.
And if a political solution is found in Myanmar, Folkvord believes it will be almost impossible to restore confidence. The Rohingya have been viewed as illegal immigrants and have been systematically discriminated against by the majority Buddhist population. They have not had the right to own land and have been forced to flee by the violence of the Myanmar army.
– Then they have nowhere to go back. They don’t see any concrete hope. And we don’t do that either, Folkvord says.
Now you’re crossing your fingers to know that flood security is good enough on the island. Otherwise, the camp can quickly turn into a death trap without an emergency exit. He also believes that other countries should require access to the camp.
– The future of the Rohingya is, first and foremost, in the hands of Bangladesh. They see that it is impossible to return the refugees to Myanmar. But we need the outside world to make clearer demands on them. At the same time, one must be willing to contribute.
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