21st October 2019


Bhashan Char Island is getting ready for the new habitants

Very few know the Meghna River and the Bhashan Char Island in Bangladesh. But now it has become the focal point in views of international community. It is reported that the settlement on this island was being constructed since November 2017, but on its completion the cry is been heard loudly. The cry is in the concern to 1 million Rohingyas who are going to settle on this Island. Bangladesh Government has reserved this ecologically fragile and prone to floods, erosion and cyclone area as the habitat for the Rohingya Community. Currently near 1 million Rohingyas are staying in the Cox’s Bazar locality which is on the south east coast of Bangladesh. There are many International NGO’s along with Unicef are working for the betterment of these people. They are providing food, shelter and medicines to these Rohingyas.  

Human Rights Watch, in a 68-page report, said the island is not suitable for human life and could become completely submerged in the event of a strong cyclone during a high tide. The island is about 30 kilometers from the mainland. Rohingyas are not willing to settle on Bhashan Char Island as they have the fear that the island could get washed away with any tidal surges. But the Refugee Commissioner of Bangladesh Mahbub Alam Talukder has convinced them with the promise that they should not fear as there are many facilities which would protect them from any calamity.   
Noakhali Deputy Commissioner Tanmoy Das said that as a solution, a small number of refugees will be taken to the island beforehand to see the real scenario, so they can convince others to relocate.
He said that there will be 120 cluster villages with 1,440 houses to house the displaced Rohingyas. The houses will be built four feet above the ground, in order to protect the refugees from high tidal waves. Each of the houses will have concrete breeze-block rooms measuring 2m x 2.5m with small barred windows, which are more habitable than the camps in Cox’s Bazar. In order to protect the site from tidal floods and natural disasters, the island will have a 13km flood defense embankment, with a height of three metres and a width of 37 metres on a layer by layer basis.  The 14 feet double embankment has been built to deal with tidal surges. There will also be 120 cyclone centers to protect the Rohinygas from cyclones, according to the plan. There will be toilets, tube wells for drinking water, a jetty, a dam, a fire service unit, and a meteorological office on the island. Solar power systems will be installed to ensure 24-hour electricity for residents. There will be perimeter fencing and watch towers will also be built to ensure security for the rehabilitation project. A police camp has already been built there.

Homes for Rohingyas on Bhashan Char Island


Assuring the Rohingya people of a better living compared to the current life they are leading, Noakhali Deputy Commissioner Tanmoy Das said the island has been developed in a way that can not only ensure a comfortable living, but also help Rohingya people develop their lives socially and financially.
“They can choose to work here. We have developed the island in a way that they can work in cottage industries, agricultural work, fish farming, and animal husbandry. They can even set up shops here. It will make them economically independent,” said Das. Many NGOs are shown their interest to buy their products too.
So the no man’s land is waiting for the thrown away community to make it their home and breath the world easily that they have solved this problem at least to some extent. Hopefully this will prove a better solution.