US for halting relocation to Bhashan Char

Appreciating the country for opening its borders to huge Rohingya refugees, the United States has urged Bangladesh to "postpone" its Rohingya relocation plan to Bhashan char until independent experts can determine it a suitable location, though Bangladesh is looking for a voluntary nature of relocation.

"We urge Bangladesh to postpone any refugee relocations to Bhashan Char until independent experts can determine it is a suitable location," said Alice G Wells, US acting assistant secretary at the Bureau of South and Central Asia. She made the call while delivering her statement at a hearing before the House

Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on Tuesday, chaired by Congressman Brad Sherman. “Given Bangladesh’s own development needs, the decision Prime Minister Hasina made to open the country’s borders to over 700,000 Rohingya refugees since August 2017 deserves recognition from international partners, including the United States,” Wells said.

The hosting of Rohingyas has come with genuine consequences for Bangladesh, which was already one of the most densely populated countries in the world, the US official said.

Earlier on October 21, Bangladesh and the European Union discussed the Bhashan char relocation plan and Bangladesh reassured the “voluntary nature” of such Rohingya relocation.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam also tweeted a couple of days back saying Bhashan Char is ready to welcome Rohingya families.

“Newly-built shelters will offer educational and livelihood options and will decongest the present camps,” his tweet reads.

Shahriar mentioned that cluster comes with multistoried buildings, a typical model that is hugely successful in coastal belt.

Bangladesh is currently hosting over 1.1 million of Rohingyas in congested camps in the country’s tourist hub - Cox’s Bazar district - putting much burden on Bangladesh.                       

Wells said the government estimates host communities in Cox’s Bazar are outnumbered by Rohingyas two to one, and that these communities have endured economic disruptions, ecological damage, and uncertainty about their own future just as the Rohingya face uncertainty about theirs.

US for halting relocation to Bhashan Char

Appreciating the country for opening its borders to huge Rohingya refugees, the United States has urged Bangladesh to postpone its Rohingya relocation plan to Bhashan char until independent experts can determine it a suitable location, though Bangladesh is looking for a voluntary nature of relocation. We urge Bangladesh to postpone any refugee relocations to Bhashan Char until independent experts can determine it is a suitable location, said Alice G Wells, US acting assistant secretary at the Bureau of South and Central Asia. She made the call while delivering her statement at a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on Tuesday, chaired by Congressman Brad Sherman. Given Bangladeshs own development needs, the decision Prime Minister Hasina made to open the countrys borders to over 700,000 Rohingya refugees since August 2017 deserves recognition from international partners, including the United States, Wells said. The hosting of Rohingyas has come with genuine consequences for Bangladesh, which was already one of the most densely populated countries in the world, the US official said. Earlier on October 21, Bangladesh and the European Union discussed the Bhashan char relocation plan and Bangladesh reassured the voluntary nature of such Rohingya relocation. State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam also tweeted a couple of days back saying Bhashan Char is ready to welcome Rohingya families. Newly-built shelters will offer educational and livelihood options and will decongest the present camps, his tweet reads. Shahriar mentioned that cluster comes with multistoried buildings, a typical model that is hugely successful in coastal belt. Bangladesh is currently hosting over 1.1 million of Rohingyas in congested camps in the countrys tourist hub - Coxs Bazar district - putting much burden on Bangladesh. Wells said the government estimates host communities in Coxs Bazar are outnumbered by Rohingyas two to one, and that these communities have endured economic disruptions, ecological damage, and uncertainty about their own future just as the Rohingya face uncertainty about theirs.