The ethnic minority Rohingya Muslims suffer severe persecution in Myanmar. Following a deadly crackdown by the Burmese army in 2017, some 740,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, where they were settled in the southern town of Cox’s Bazar. Five years on, the town is home to the world’s largest and most dangerous refugee camp, with frequent floods, fires and gang wars. In December 2020, the Bangladeshi government decided to relocate some of the Rohingya refugees to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal. Our reporters Alban Alvarez and Mathilde Cusin managed to gain access to it.
Bangladesh's transfer of Rohingya refugees to the camp on the island of Bhasan Char sparked strong criticism from human rights groups, which denounced the living conditions on a remote island, especially a lack of freedom of movement.
On a recent visit to Bangladesh, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi appealed for sustained and predictable support for Rohingya refugees and their host communities. According to a UNHCR statement dated May 25, "some 28,000 Rohingya refugees have been relocated to Bhasan Char by the Government of Bangladesh, and the High Commissioner observed that essential humanitarian services have been scaled up. He called for continued strong government leadership on the island, enhanced education services, skills development and livelihood initiatives".
>> Watch our previous Reporters show: No way home for the Rohingya
