In Pictures

Rohingya refugees: From crowded camps to isolated island

Al Jazeera travels with Rohingya to flood-prone Bhashan Char island where Bangladesh wants to move about 100,000 refugees.

Rohingya refugees prepare to board a ship as they move to Bhasan Char island near Chattogram [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

By Mahmud Hossain Opu

31 Dec 2020

The Bangladeshi government has relocated more than 3,000 Rohingya to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal, despite concerns from rights groups that many of the persecuted refugees might have been coerced into moving to the flood-prone island.

At least 1,800 refugees were shipped to the Bhashan Char island on Tuesday, weeks after the first batch of 1,600 Rohingya were transferred. The government plans to eventually move 100,000 Rohingya to the remote island as it aims to decongest refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, which shelter approximately one million Rohingya.

The United Nations and rights groups have condemned the relocation to the island, which is prone to cyclones and flooding.

Refugees and humanitarian workers say some of the Rohingya were coerced into going to the island, which emerged from the sea only 20 years ago.

More than 700,000 Rohingya took shelter in the camps in Bangladesh in 2017 after a deadly clampdown by Myanmar’s military that the UN has said could be genocide.

Several attempts at repatriation of the Rohingya to Myanmar have failed after the refugees said they were too fearful of further violence to return.

A navy vessel in the Bay of Bengal carries Rohingya refugees to the Bhasan Char island in Noakhali district. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

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Khaled's wife gave birth to his youngest son in the Balukhali refugee camp in the border district of Cox’s Bazar. He is hopeful of a better life in Bhasan Char. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/ Al Jazeera]

A Navy member helps a Rohingya refugee as she boards a ship for Bhasan Char island. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/ Al Jazeera]

Sakhina Begum does not want her son to grow up inside delipidated Rohingya refugee camps in Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar. She hopes Bhasan Char will turn out to be a 'better destination'. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/ Al Jazeera]

Rohingya refugees disembark from a Navy vessel as they arrive at the Bhasan Char island in Noakhali district. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

Sattar Hossain follows some of his family members who were taken to Bhasan Char earlier on December 4. The septuagenarian plans to spend his remaining years on the island. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/ Al Jazeera]

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Rohingya refugees disembark from a navy vessel as they arrive at the Bhasan Char island. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/ Al Jazeera]

Mohammad Akbar Ali has been living at Rohingya refugee camps in Teknaf for three years. Long confined to the camps, Akbar now wants to try his luck for a better life at the Bhashan Char island. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/ Al Jazeera]

Navy vessels carrying Rohingya to Bhasan Char island. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/ Al Jazeera]

A residential building at Bhasan Char island for VIP officials. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/ Al Jazeera]

Tractor trailers carry Rohingya refugees to shelters at the Bhasan Char island. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/ Al Jazeera]

A view of the tin and concrete houses at the flood-prone island. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

Housing blocks have been set up for the new arrivals on the island that Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has called a 'beautiful resort'. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

A view of a room inside the concrete housing facility on Bhasan Char island. [Mahmud Hossain Opu/ Al Jazeera]

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