Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has said that the government is not taking any Rohingyas to Bhashan Char forcibly but they are going there voluntarily.
"We're not taking Rohingyas to Bhashan Char forcibly. We're taking those who're willing to go. They're going to Bhashan Char voluntarily," he told reporters.
The foreign minister reiterated that they will not take anybody to Bhashan Char forcibly. "We maintain this position."
On UN's concerns over such relocation, Dr Momen said the government will be happy if the UN shares their fears and concerns with Myanmar (for failing to create conditions in Rakhine for repatriation).
The minister said that the Bangladesh government does not want people to get killed in Cox's Bazar camps due to landslides and give Rohingyas better facilities in Bhashan Char by easing the burden on Cox's Bazar.
Repatriation attempts failed twice in November 2018 and August 2019 amid Rohingyas' lack of trust in the Myanmar government.
Bangladesh and Myanmar signed the repatriation deal on November 23, 2017.
On January 16, 2018, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on “Physical Arrangement,” which was supposed to facilitate the return of Rohingyas to their homeland.
On Wednesday, the UN said that the Rohingyas must be able to make a free and informed decision about relocating to Bhashan Char based upon relevant, accurate, and updated information.
"The UN has not been involved in preparations for this movement or the identification of refugees and has limited information on the overall relocation exercise," said the UN, highlighting its longstanding position.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in cramped camps in Cox's Bazar. Most of them came here after the Myanmar military launched a brutal offensive targeting the mainly-Muslim ethnic minority in the pretext of a “clearance operation.”
Often described as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, Rohingyas have been subjected to state-sponsored discrimination for decades in their homeland Myanmar.
The presence of a huge number of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals put severe pressure on Bangladesh's coastal district Cox's Bazar and put them on a collision course with the locals. Many Rohingyas have become involved in crimes.
The government plans to shift some 100,000 Rohingyas to Bhashan Char in phases.
Bangladesh has been urging the global community to mount pressure on Myanmar for effective repatriation of the Rohingyas.
The foreign minister recently said Rohingyas will "jeopardize regional and international security" if the 1.1 million of them are left unattended and not given the opportunity to return to their homeland.
Bangladesh is currently hosting more than 1.1 million Rohingyas in several refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.
