BD moves ahead with relocating over 1,600 Rohingya refugees

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh: Bangladesh transported more than 1,600 Rohingya refugees to a low-lying island on Friday in the first phase of a controversial planned relocation of 100,000 people.

Almost a million Rohingya -- most of whom fled a military offensive in neighbouring Myanmar three years ago -- live in squalid camps in south-eastern Bangladesh. Any return to Myanmar appears unlikely for now.

Dhaka wants to move 100,000 of the refugees to Bhashan Char, a silt island that critics say is prone to flooding and in the path of cyclones that frequently wreak havoc in the region. Rights groups have alleged that many of those sent in the first wave on Friday were coerced into going with threats or sweeteners.

This was borne out by some family members that AFP spoke to at camps in the Cox’s Bazar district on Thursday as they said tearful goodbyes to their relatives. "They beat my son mercilessly and even smashed his teeth so that he agreed to go to the island," said Sufia Khatun, 60, who came to see off her son and five other relatives. But Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen called the claims "a damn lie", and said the facilities on the island were "much better" than in the camps.

Bangladesh has spent some $400 million from its own coffers building shelters and a nine-foot (three-metre) flood embankment around the facilities. The government said the facilities are "strongly-built with concrete foundation which can withstand natural disasters such as cyclones and tidal waves."

The island "has all modern amenities, year-round fresh water, (a) beautiful lake and proper infrastructure and enhanced facilities," the foreign ministry said on Friday.

"These include uninterrupted supply of electricity and water, agricultural plots, cyclone shelters, two hospitals, four community clinics, mosques, warehouses, telecommunication services, police station, recreation and learning centres, playgrounds, etc," it said.

Bangladeshi authorities say the relocation will ease congestion in the vast network of camps where deadly landslides -- as well as violence by drug gangs and extremists -- are common. But it is unclear whether the refugees will be able to leave if they wish to.

The United Nations office in Bangladesh said it had been prevented from independently assessing the "safety, feasibility and sustainability" of the island as a place to live.

Mohammad Jubaer, 28, who was on one of the ships with three family members on the three-hour sea journey from Chittagong to the island on Friday, said he was happy to go to the island.

"I hope there will be enough work for me in the island. I wish they would also bring my brother and his family to the island," he told AFP by phone.Human Rights Watch said it had interviewed 12 families whose names were on the lists, but had not volunteered to go, while Refugees International said the move was "nothing short of a dangerous mass detention of the Rohingya people in violation of international human rights obligations".

Two aid workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said refugees had come under pressure from government officials who used threats and offers of cash and other enticements to persuade them to go to the island. The United Nations said in a statement it had been given "limited information" about the relocations and was not involved in preparations.

More than 300 refugees were brought to the island earlier this year after several months at sea in an attempt to flee Bangladesh. Rights groups say they are being held against their will and have complained of human rights violations.