The United Nations says it has not been allowed to carry out a technical and safety assessment of Bhasan Char, a flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal, and was not involved in the transfer of refugees there. Thomas Andrews, the UN human rights investigator to Myanmar, said in a statement the assessment and verification process were in the "best interest of all". "They will assure the government of Bangladesh of the suitability of Bhasan Char to host refugees or identify changes that might be necessary," he said. "It will also assure that the government’s policy of strict voluntary relocation to Bhasan Char is, indeed, being faithfully carried out," he added. But refugees and humanitarian workers say some of the Rohingya have been coerced into going to the island, which emerged from the sea 20 years ago.

Source: bd News24 December 10, 2020 13:31 UTC