Dhaka wants foreign funds for moving 70,000 Rohingyas to Bhasan Char: PMO

The government has placed two proposals seeking assistance from international community to relocate more Rohingya people to Bhashan Char island from camps in Cox’s Bazar for the wellbeing of the displaced Myanmar nationals.

Under the proposals Dhaka wants foreign countries and agencies to bear the expenses of the Rohingya relocation and provide assistance to construct more infrastructures in Bhashan Char to make the remaining two-third areas of the island livable for the displaced people.

PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah placed the proposals at a meeting with the foreign diplomats and representatives stationed in Dhaka, held at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday.

The representatives from 17 countries and agencies, including Australia, US, UK, France, Germany and UNHCR attended meeting.

“We’ve told the international community that the more people we can bring to Bhashan Char in a very quick time, the more their safety and the betterment of their children will be ensured. So, now we’ve given them two proposals,” the principal secretary told the media after the meeting.

About the first proposal, he said housing for one lakh people was built in Bhasan Char and only 30,000 people have so far been moved there.

“Now we want to shift 70,000 more people to the place, which is an expensive matter. We ask the friendly countries who work with us to bear the cost of taking these people from Cox's Bazar to Bhashan Char. The Prime Minister seriously wants it,” he added.

Talking about the second proposal, Tofazzel said only one-third of land of the Bhashan Char was used (for infrastructure to house one lakh Rohingya) and now the Prime Minister wants the infrastructures to be constructed in the remaining two-third land and more Rohingyas to be taken there.

“So, Bangladesh has sought assistance (from foreign friends) to construct new infrastructures,” he said.

In the meeting, the foreign countries and agencies were asked to put importance to the Rohingya issue in different international forums, he said.

The principal secretary said Rohingya people will get better life and livelihood in Bhashan Char as they get skill development training and opportunities for agricultural works including raising chickens and ducks, and rearing cows and goats.

He mentioned that the Rohingyas taken to Bhashan Char are brought to the mainland camps to meet their relatives in Cox's Bazar regularly.

Turning to the sufferings of the Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar, he said several social problems, including internal conflict, infighting, arson violence, killing and trafficking are being created due to the stay of Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar. Many of them are involved in drug business, he added.

Noting that the fund to conduct humanitarian activities for Rohingyas is not being received as per commitment of the donors, Tofazzel said Bangladesh received some US$ 586 million which is 62 percent of the committed amount of US$ 876 million in 2022. So, Bangladesh asked the friendly countries to provide the increased amount.

He said the government spent some Tk 3,100 crore only to prepare Bhashan Char.