UNB, Dhaka

The government has placed two proposals seeking assistance from the international community to relocate more Rohingya refugees to Bhashan Char island from camps in Cox’s Bazar for the well-being of the displaced Myanmar nationals.

Under the proposals Dhaka wants foreign countries and agencies to bear the expenses of the Rohingya relocation and provide assistance to construct more infrastructures in Bhashan Char to make the remaining two-third areas of the island livable for the displaced people.

PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah placed the proposals at a meeting with the foreign diplomats and representatives stationed in Dhaka, held at the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday.

The representatives from 17 countries and agencies, including Australia, US, UK, France, Germany and UNHCR attended the meeting.

“We’ve told the international community that the more people we can bring to Bhashan Char in a very quick time, the more their safety and the betterment of their children will be ensured. So, now we’ve given them two proposals,” the principal secretary told the media after the meeting.

About the first proposal, he said housing for 100,000 people was built in Bhasan Char and only 30,000 people have so far been moved there.

“Now we want to shift 70,000 more people to the place, which is an expensive matter. We ask the friendly countries who work with us to bear the cost of taking these people from Cox’s Bazar to Bhashan Char,” he added.

Dhaka wants foreign funds to shift them to Bhasan Char