Washim Ahmed
Some days ago Bangladeshi Minister of Foreign Affairs, AK Abdul Momen requested the UN to provide humanitarian assistance for the Rohingyas who were recently relocated to the previously uninhabited island of Bhashan Char.

Despite mounting criticism from the international community, it looks like Bangladesh is determined to relocate a large chunk of its Rohingya refugee community to an obscure island right off its coast.

Thousands of embattled Rohingya Muslims have been escaping into Bangladesh from neighbouring Myanmar for years. Others have relocated around the globe, including Canada, as Myanmar’s military carried out what is now acknowledges to be a genocide against them.

Bangladesh has already relocated 10,000 Rohingya so far to Bhashan Char. Authorities want that number to be as high as 100,000—on an island that’s 1/10 the size of the Gaza Strip.

Bangladesh insists that the Island is safe ‘and promises a better life for the Rohingyas. Approximately BDT 3100 Crore (USD $365 million) has been invested in Bhashan Char to develop the necessary infrastructure to make sure the refugees will be well taken care of. Bangladesh Navy released video footage and photos of the accommodations though the government has yet to release any detailed settlement plan for the relocation.

However, no independent assessment of the safety and habitability of the island has been conducted by the UN or any international agency. There are allegations that no NGO or organization has been allowed to visit the island for an assessment. During Minister Momen’s recent US visit, the UN and Western diplomats advised him that without conducting a technical assessment of the facility, they will not make any commitment for humanitarian assistance.

The numerous Rohingya leaders and NGOs focused on the Rohingya’s plight that I’ve spoken with are all opposed to the idea of relocation. This skepticism is well-founded given how dilapidated the refugee camps within Bangladesh have been so far. It’s just one of several failed promises by authorities there to treat the Rohingya migrants with dignity and respect.

Furthermore, Bangladesh is not a signatory to the UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention and has not enacted any laws to guarantee the right of its new Rohingya population. It has however been facing mounting pressure from its own citizens to get rid of the refugees—at least off of the mainland. This pressure grew in the past two years as overall patience for taking care of Rohingya newcomers quickly ran out. Now they’re seen as a burden and source of trouble for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh, a relatively under-resourced country, deserves credit for absorbing so many refugees in the first place. Canada and the world should recognize the internal challenges it now faces. Whatever the actual conditions are, Bangladesh has invested heavily in the Island to make it habitable for Rohingya. Simply demanding a halt to it won’t work. Rather, there should be negotiations to have a temporary hold on the relocation until further assessments for safety and habitability can be conducted by international stakeholders.

Most importantly, the relocation must take place with informed consent. Family separations like we saw at the US-Mexico border should be completely off the table. Rohingyas should be given freedom of movement, including the right to access the mainland when necessary. There should be a daily ferry to commute between the mainland and the island with minimal restrictions.

The good news is that Bangladeshi authorities have shown openness to discussions and recommendations of how they should handle this move. I think the international community, including Canada, should strongly raise their concerns and provide suggestions. Canada has been a leader (and leading donor) for the Rohingya cause in global forums. It can’t afford to miss out on this crucial opportunity.

Bangladesh should also do everything it can to ensure that the Island does not become an open-air prison. The Rohingyas must have meaningful and sustainable opportunities to build their livelihoods. This can include farming and fishing opportunities within a certain area of the sea. There should also be mobile and Internet access, along with primary and secondary education for children.

Because let’s face it: the world failed to stop a systematic genocide against the Rohingya people. For international standards of human rights to mean anything, it can’t afford another failure. The least the world can do now is to ensure that survivors are not abandoned and left for dead on a tiny island in the Bay of Bengal.

The Writer is Barrister, Solicitor & Notary Public, Toronto, Canada