Although the original plan was to move 700 refugees in the second batch, the number more than doubled because many other refugees expressed willingness to shift to the island, the Prime Minister's Office said. Hatia Upazila Nirbahi Officer Imran Hossain told bdnews24.com that the refugees are scheduled to reach Bhashan Char by Tuesday afternoon. Several attempts to launch a process to repatriate Rohingya to Myanmar have failed because the refugees refused to go back, fearing more violence. Like the previous batch, the second group was also moved amid tight security with members of the police and the Rapid Action Battalion closely guarding the vehicles. The path from Ghumdhum Transit Camp to Ukhiya Degree College was restricted from public access during this relocation..“Necessary preparations were taken by the police after receiving instructions about the arrival of Rohingya refugees,” Noakhali Superintendent of Police Md Alamgir Hossain said.

Source: bd News24 December 28, 2020 13:52 UTC