The first batch of 1,642 Rohingyas from Ukhiya’s Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazar made it to Bhasan Char, an island around 37 miles off the coast of Bay of Bengal under Hatiya upazila of Noakhali, on Friday afternoon.

Eight ships carrying the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals reached the remote island at 2:00 pm on Friday. 

The ships, escorted by Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard, left Chattogram around 10:30am.

Earlier on Thursday, the Rohingyas were taken to Chattogram from Cox's Bazar's Ukhia upazila by 20 buses escorted by law enforcers.

They were kept in a temporary transit camp at the BAF Shaheen College for the night under the supervision of the Navy before heading out for Bhashan Char today.

Bangladesh Navy had built shelters in Bhashan Char, measuring 13,000 acres, for at least 100,000 Rohingyas as well as a three-metre embankment to prevent flooding. 

Almost a million Rohingyas have been sheltered in various makeshift camps in the south-eastern districts of Bangladesh. Most of them fled to Bangladesh following a military offensive in neighbouring Myanmar in 2017.

BDST: 1840 HRS, DEC 04, 2020
AP