505 more Rohingyas on way to Bhasan Char

After a seven-month pause, the process of relocating Rohingya refugees to Noakhali’s Bhasan Char from Cox’s Bazar camps resumed yesterday.
A total of 898 Rohingyas started for the Bhasan Char in Hatiya upazila last night, Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (joint secretary) Mohammad Samsuddauza Nayan told our staff correspondent.
Of them, 505 are new while the rest were shifted to the char earlier but they returned to Cox’s Bazar camps on various reasons, he said.
Yesterday, the Rohingyas from different camps of Ukhiya and Teknaf gathered at temporary transit point set up at Ukhiya Degree College.
Then, they were sent to Chattogram by 20 buses. From the port city, they were being taken to Bashan Char by a navy ship, the official said.
Abul Kalam, who was going to the island along with his family, said “I am concerned of the criminal activities at the camp (in Cox’s Bazar). I’m not safe here and that’s why we are moving to Bhasan Char.”
Earlier, a total of 1,242 Rohingyas were shifted to the char on March 1.
According to the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Office, 35,000 Rohingya refugees have been transferred to the island so far.