Govt likely to sign MoU with UN today

To begin operations in Bhashan Char, a low-lying silt island in the Bay of Bengal where thousands of Rohingya refugees have been shifted in recent months, the UN agencies are scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief today.
Before the relocation began in December 2020, the UNHCR criticized the project on the grounds of safety, livability, and freedom of movement of its residents saying that an independent technical and protection assessments would be a prerequisite to determine "whether the United Nations can engage operationally with the government's Bhashan Char project."
To manage the Rohingya influx from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh took plan of relocating 100,000 Rohingyas to Bhashan Char. Some 1642 Rohingyas were relocated to Bhashan Char on December 4, 2020, while
the second batch, comprising 1,804 Rohingyas was transferred from Cox's Bazar to Bhashan Char on December 29 last year. But the UN agencies did not extend their support there. However, finally they (UN) agreed.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh spent $350 million to build housing and other structures on the previously uninhabited island to host 100,000 refugees. The government reportedly says the project will help ease the pressure on overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar, where over 1.1 million refugees, who fled violence and atrocities committed in neighboring Myanmar, have been living since 2017.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told the media that aid operations between two groups of refugees - in Cox's Bazar and Bhashan Char - will be different. He said that both sides have agreed that Rohingyas can receive formal education but on a Burmese-language curriculum and will have limited freedom of movement, among other things.
Bhasan Char, a temporary shelter for Rohingyas until repatriation, remained unhurt with no casualty to personnel and livestock during recent cyclones, he added.
"Both sides were bargaining with each other on the technical aspects, now we both agree on the U.N.'s operational engagement on Bhashan Char," Md. Delwar Hossain, director-general of the Myanmar wing of the Foreign Ministry, told the media.
In March, the government arranged a visit for the UN delegation on the island. It also arranged a separate visit for the diplomats. The UN team prepared a brief observational report over the visit which said, "Instead of rejecting the Bhashan Char outright, the U.N. team suggested future relocations may be undertaken in a gradual or phased manner."
In a recent visit, former United Nations General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir highly appreciated Bangladesh's efforts for Rohingyas in Bhashan Char, saying it will be another example to the world on how to deal with refugee issues. However, the U.N. plans to solely address the humanitarian needs of the refugees.
Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at the Human Rights Watch, which had earlier criticized the UN's changed posture on Bhashan Char, said "Humanitarian agencies have a duty to provide assistance, but we find the government has not yet kept its commitments for an independent safety and protection assessment."
 "We have a responsibility to those on Bhashan Char in the same way we do to the thousands of refugees in Cox's Bazar," the U.N. official added. "We just can't turn our back on them just because they have been moved to a different location."
The government re-emphasized that Bhashan Char is completely safe and suitable for human habitation. The 30-year-old island has all the amenities, including healthcare, drinking water, options for economic activities and cyclone shelters, it said. The island offers enough space for free movement of the Rohingyas.
Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, it should be remembered that the Rohingyas are Myanmar nationals and Bhasan Char and Cox's Bazar camps are temporary arrangements.