With the repeated failure of the attempts to repatriate the Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar, Bangladesh struggles to address this acute humanitarian crisis. International reports tell that almost a million Rohingya refugees are living in terrible conditions in the camps of Cox's Bazar district where they have long been complained of as imposing a heavy financial and political burden on poverty-stricken Bangladesh, the South Asian country which is striving hard for improving the welfare and prosperity of its indigenous people, which is why it tries hard to put an end to this issue as soon as possible. Recently, Bangladesh decided to move 100,000 Rohingya people to “Bhasan Char,” an island in the Bay of Bengal as an attempt to alleviate the burden from its economy and people.
The Rohingya –– who have a previous terrible experience in Myanmar and who have come to realize that any attempt to move them from their places of residence is in fact a step towards more hardships and suffering–– are very reluctant to move and have raised concerns of being segregated and left vulnerable to natural disasters in this “floating” island which has not been formed in the Bay of Bengal twenty years ago. They thus need guarantees that the island is safe for habitation and that it would not one day disappear again from the Bay. The government officials, on the other hand, insist to put their decision into action confirming, at the same time, that the relocation process will be completely voluntary and that thousands of the Rohingya have allegedly announced their willingness to move to the island.
Seeking international support, the Bangladesh’s government presented the project to the UN that in turn approved it on condition that the relocation process to the island has to be voluntary and that the island infrastructure is prepared in such a manner to render it habitable. In addition, Bengali Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina succeeded to collect enough funds at the recent UN General Assembly for the project which is expected to alleviate some amount of the suffering from the most persecuted people all over the world.
With these developments into consideration, the question now arises: Is relocation to Bhasan Char a substitution for the repatriation plans to the Rakhine State, the Rohingya's homeland? If Bangladesh and the UN opted for the easiest choice and eventually gave in to Myanmar’s persecution, then the Rohingya will continue to live as refugees till the end of their lives and their crisis will never come to an end. No matter the solution provided for alleviating their suffering is, they apparently have destined to spend their lives in camps in this World allegedly chanting with maintaining human rights to all mankind.