Al Amin :
The representatives of the United Nations (UN) in Bangladesh are preparing to support the Rohingya refugees at Bhashan Char as per a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the government recently.
High officials of the UN missions visited Bhashan Char last week for the purpose. Disaster Management and Relief Ministry Secretary Md Mohsin led the team.
Besides, they are consulting the government on a regular basis to find out ways to support the refugees easily, officials of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said.
They also said that with the involvement of the UN missions, it will help the government to relocate the planned 80,000 Rohingyas from Cox’s Bazar to Bhasan Char as the refugees are now feeling secured.
The UN missions are likely to work in five to six major areas primarily and then they may increase gradually, they said. “As per the MoU and discussion with the government, feasibility studies are going on. There are some procedures must follow. We are now preparing for this,” an official of the UNHCR, wishing his anonymity, told The New Nation.
“Some basic utility services, medical and transport facilities must be ensured for the officials of the UN missions before setting up offices at Bhashan Char,” he said.
“Land and other logistic supports are required. For this, we are discussing with the government. Hopefully, we will be able to reach a consensus in this regard very soon,” the official said.
“It is also yet to be decided whether we will use the government’s amenities or our own. It needs to be cleared,” he said.
The Bangladesh government and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signed MoU on October 9 on behalf of UN agencies to facilitate UN engagement at Bhashan Char on the humanitarian front to support the Rohingyas.
But, both the United Nations and the Bangladesh government have kept the memorandum out of public view.
The agreement will cover the key areas of protection, education, skills training, livelihoods, and health, which will help support the refugees to lead decent lives on the island.
Citing overcrowding at the Cox’s Bazar camps, the government started relocating 100,000 the refugees to the Bhasan Char Island last December. It has relocated some 20,000 refugees there so far.
