Bangladesh approves plan to house Rohingyas in Bay of Bengal island
Rohingya refugees
The UN estimates over 600,000 refugees have already crossed over to Bangladesh with several more expected in the months ahead.
After months of wrangling over the issue, Bangladesh government today approved a project to develop an isolated island in the Bay of Bengal to temporarily house Rohingya refugees.
A Bangladesh government committee headed by PM Sheikh Hasina has approved the plan to develop Bhashan Char island, considered to be flood-prone into a temporary housing area for Rohingya refugees who have fled from Myanmar.
The UN estimates over 600,000 refugees have already crossed over to Bangladesh with several more expected in the months ahead.
Bangladesh's planning minister Mustafa Kamal told Reuters the project to house the Rohingya refugees would be completed in the next two years.
“Many people are living in dire conditions," Kamal said, adding,"it is a threat to both security and the environment."
Bangladesh's decision to set up housing for Rohingyas in the remote island in the Bay of Bengal comes even as it reached an agreement with the Myanmar government on repatriation of Rohingya refugees.
Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi had said last week that repatriation of the Rohingya refugees would be based on residency and that it will be “safe and voluntary”.
However, Myanmar's army chief had said Rohingya refugees cannot return to Rakhine state until "real Myanmar citizens" are ready to accept them signalling their repatriation was still a long way off.
The army chief also said Myanmar would "not allow the return of all Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh".