In the second phase, a group of Rohingyas staying in a humanitarian shelter at Ukhia-Teknaf in Cox's Bazar agreed to go to Bhasanchar voluntarily. The group of 1,804 Rohingyas will leave for Bhasanchar of Hatiya upazilla in Noakhali on Tuesday (December 29) morning. In the meantime they have reached Chattogram.
Earlier, on December 4, 1,842 Rohingyas voluntarily moved to Bhasanchar in the first phase of relocation from the Cox's Bazaar refugee camp.
On Monday (December 28), the Rohingyas left for Chattogram from the grounds of Ukhia Degree College in Cox's Bazaar from noon to afternoon. Earlier, the concerned people brought them from different camps by bus and completed the temporary point activities at the Ukhia Degree College ground.
According to sources, Rohingyas from different camps were taken to Chattogram from Ukhia Degree College in three phases. In the first phase 595 people left in 13 buses, in the second phase 539 people in 11 buses and in the afternoon in the third phase 60 Rohingyas left in 15 buses from Ukhia College ground to Chattogram.
Relevant sources said that only those who have expressed interest in going voluntarily have been included in the transfer process.
On the issue of taking Rohingyas to Bhasanchar, Ukhia Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nizam Uddin Ahmed said the government has a policy decision not to talk about taking Rohingyas to Bhasanchar until they finally board the ship from Chattogram. The next step will be the same as the first time everything was reported to the media in a timely manner. I believe that then the countrymen and the whole world will know about it.
More than seven and a half lakh Rohingyas took refuge in Bangladesh after crossing the border on August 25, 2017 to escape the killing and torture of the Myanmar army. More than 11 lakh Rohingyas are now living in cramped conditions in Cox's Bazaar camps, including those who took refuge earlier.