300 Rohingyas reach Chattogram for relocation at Bhasan char

The first convoy of buses carrying Rohingyas who are willing to go to Bhasan Char voluntarily reached Chattogram at around 7:20pm on Thursday, while over 300 more were on the way to the district.

On Thursday noon around 600 Rohingyas left Cox's Bazar for Chattogram in two convoys of buses.

The first convoy was kept at BAF Shaheen College field while the second convoy will be kept at No.15 Navy Jetty Ghat at Patenga in Chattogram.

These Rohingyas are supposed to leave Chattogram for Bhasan char on Friday morning by Bangladesh Navy ships.

Around 10,000 Rohingyas will be relocated to Bhasan char in the first batch, said sources.

Earlier, local administration brought them at transit point Ukhiya Degree College premises on Wednesday night, according to locals.

Then they left Cox's Bazar on Thursday noon by nearly two dozen buses escorted by police and the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab).

A temporary transit point has been set up at the Ukhiya college ground to shift the Rohingyas from 34 camps in Cox's Bazar's Ukhiya and Teknaf areas and other temporary transit points were set up at BAF Shaheen College and No.15 Navy Jetty Ghat in Chattogram.  

Several hundred of Rohingyas had arrived at the transit point in Ukhiya after Wednesday evening while the majority had arrived on Thursday morning, said several leaders of Rohingya camps.

Lt Col Ashik Billah, director of Rab's media wing, told The Business Standard, teams from the Rab and its helicopter are in-charge of the security of the fleet.

"There are plans of relocating around 2,000-3,000 Rohingyas on Thursday. The relocating process will continue for some days," he said.

Around fourteen ships had been kept ready since Thursday morning to take the Rohingyas from Cox's Bazar to Chattogram and from there to Bhasan Char.

Rohingyas at Bhasan Char will be provided with cooked food for the first two months, according to sources.