Skip to content
Search

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

Former police officer arrested in Rotherham investigation

Investigators believe the earlier offences happened between 1995 and 2002 (Photo for representation: iStock)

Former police officer arrested in Rotherham investigation

A FORMER police officer has been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into child sexual abuse in Rotherham, authorities revealed on Tuesday (1).

The former constable, who is in his 50s, was taken into custody on Monday (31). He is suspected of raping a teenage girl in the South Yorkshire town in 2004, according to officials.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi Xi

Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping during their meeting in October 2024.

75 years of India-China relations: Modi, Xi call for stronger ties

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping exchanged messages on Tuesday to mark the 75th anniversary of India-China diplomatic relations.

Modi stated that the development of bilateral ties contributes to global stability and a multipolar world, while Xi called for a "dragon-elephant tango" to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Lanka forms committee to address UK sanctions
Anura Kumara Dissanayake

Sri Lanka forms committee to address UK sanctions

THE Sri Lanka government on Wednesday (2) formed a committee to recommend measures regarding the UK's decision to impose sanctions on three former military commanders who led the campaign that crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.

Health minister Nalinda Jayatissa told reporters that foreign minister Vijitha Herath, justice minister Harshana Nanayakkara and deputy minister of defence Aruna Jayasekara would comprise the committee that would consult experts for the purpose.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gujarat-blast-ANI

The blast caused the factory’s concrete roof to collapse, scattering debris and body parts across the area, officials confirmed. (Photo: ANI)

ANI

Death toll rises to 21 in Gujarat firework factory explosion

AN EXPLOSION at an illegal firecracker factory in Gujarat's Deesa town killed 21 people and injured several others on Tuesday, officials said.

The blast caused the factory’s concrete roof to collapse, scattering debris and body parts across the area, officials confirmed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Child benefit payments set to rise for UK families

Child benefit, normally paid every four weeks directly into bank accounts, has undergone significant changes in recent months (Photo: Getty Images)

Child benefit payments set to rise for UK families

MILLIONS of British families are set to receive a financial boost as child benefit payments increase from April 7, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

From next week, parents will receive £26.05 per week for the eldest or only child, amounting to £1,354.60 annually - up from the current rate of £25.60. For each additional child, payments will rise to £17.25 weekly, totalling £897 per year - an increase from the present £16.95 rate. This represents a 1.7 per cent increase across all payment categories.

Keep ReadingShow less