Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Bangladesh rethinks plan to move Rohingya refugees  

BANGLADESH is reconsidering a plan to relocate Rohingya refugees to a flood-prone island located hours by boat from its coast, junior minister for disaster management and relief Enamur Rahman told on Wednesday (26).

The proposal to move 100,000 people to Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal to ease overcrowding at camps near the Myanmar border had been opposed by many refugees, and some rights experts had warned it could spark a fresh humanitarian crisis.


A United Nations investigator who visited last year expressed doubts whether the island was even habitable.

"We have not taken a final decision yet, but we're no longer interested in moving them there," Rahman said.

Dhaka was instead "focusing instead on a safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation", he added, saying China was actively engaged in talks with Myanmar to expedite this process.

"We're hopeful of a positive outcome," Rahman said.

Camps near the border town of Cox's Bazar are home to more than one million Rohingya Muslims who have fled neighbouring Myanmar following a military-led crackdown since August 2017.

The Hague-based International Court of Justice ordered Myanmar last month to protect the Rohingya against further atrocities and preserve evidence of alleged crimes, after Gambia launched a lawsuit accusing the country of genocide.

A Myanmar government-appointed panel established to probe allegations of abuses against the Rohingya said last month it had found no evidence of genocide.

Densely populated Bangladesh has struggled with the growing number of refugees. Local communities have been increasingly hostile towards Rohingya after a second failed bid to send thousands back to Myanmar in August.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina's government has already spent tens of millions of dollars to turn Bhasan Char into a permanent landmass and a temporary home for the refugees. It was unclear if the government planned to repurpose the facilities already built on the island.

Humanitarian and human rights groups had criticized the relocation proposal, saying the island is flood-prone and vulnerable to frequent cyclones, and could be completely submerged during a high tide.

Yanghee Lee, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said after visiting last year that she feared a "new crisis" if Rohingya were taken to the island.

"There are a number of things that remain unknown to me even following my visit, chief among them being whether the island is truly habitable," Lee said.

(Reuters)

More For You

uk-snow-getty

People drive their cars past a landscape covered in snow and along the Snake pass road, in the Peak district, northern England. (Photo: Getty Images)

UK records coldest January night in 15 years at -17.3 degrees Celsius

THE UK recorded its coldest January night in 15 years as temperatures dropped to -17.3 degrees Celsius in Altnaharra, Sutherland, by 9 pm on Friday.

This is the lowest January temperature since 2010, when Altnaharra hit -22.3 degrees Celsius on 8 January, The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chandra Arya

Arya, who represents Nepean in Ottawa and was born in India's Karnataka, made the announcement on X. (Photo: X/@AryaCanada)

Liberal MP Chandra Arya declares bid for prime minister of Canada

CANADA’s Asian MP Chandra Arya has announced his candidacy for the prime ministership, just hours before the Liberal Party confirmed that its next leader will be selected on 9 March.

Arya’s announcement comes days after prime minister Justin Trudeau declared his decision to step down while continuing in office until a new leader is chosen.

Keep ReadingShow less
Exclusive: 'Starmer must fill NHS staffing defecit'
Dr Chaand Nagpaul

Exclusive: 'Starmer must fill NHS staffing defecit'

LABOUR's latest announcement to cut NHS waiting lists, while welcome, does not go far enough, the former leader of the doctors’ union, Chaand Nagpaul has told Eastern Eye.

Prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, unveiled his plans on Monday (6). He pledged Labour would set up more NHS hubs in community locations in England, and the service would make greater use of the private sector to help meet the challenge.

Keep ReadingShow less
Exclusive: 'Stop spreading racial hatred'
Nazir Afzal

Exclusive: 'Stop spreading racial hatred'

POLITICIANS must dial down “dangerous and inflammatory” rhetoric and recognise the contributions of all communities in Britain, prominent south Asians have told Eastern Eye.

They are concerned that recent social media attacks on asylum seekers, immigrants, especially British Pakistanis, as well as ministers will lead to unnecessary deaths.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lisa-Nandy-Getty

The culture secretary retains powers to refer the case to the Competition and Markets Authority, which could trigger an investigation into press freedom concerns linked to Abu Dhabi’s involvement. (Photo: Getty Images)

Calls grow for Lisa Nandy to end Telegraph ownership stalemate

THE SALE of The Telegraph newspaper has drawn widespread political calls for culture secretary Lisa Nandy to intervene and end the prolonged uncertainty surrounding its ownership.

The newspaper has been in limbo for 20 months after an auction process initiated by RedBird IMI, an Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund, failed to secure a suitable buyer.

Keep ReadingShow less