The second batch of 1,772 Rohingya refugees is scheduled to be shifted to Bhasanchar island on Tuesday.
According to the concerned authorities, these refugees belong to 427 families.
“They have already been shifted to Chittagong from Cox’s Bazar camps and tomorrow morning they will be shifted to Bhasanchar by Navy ships” an official engaged in the process told the FE on Monday.
The 13,000-acre island has already housed 1,642 Rohingyas who were shifted there on December 4 amid concerns from several UN bodies.
But the government has made it clear that they will continue the relocation. As per government plan, around 100,000 Rohingyas will be shifted to the island, Project Director of the Bhasanchar project, Commodore Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury told the FE.
Many organisations raised the issue of vulnerability of the island to natural calamities.
According to the project officials a three-tier shore protection system exists there to keep the island safe from such calamities.
There is a boom wave screen breaker in the offshore area adjacent to the island. Besides, there are stones and there is geo bag dam on the shore to keep it protected.
The entire project is surrounded by a 12.1-kilometre embankment, which is 9.0 feet high now. The height will be enhanced further to 19 feet, project officials added.
The forestation along the shore will also work as a protection. There are 18 sluice gates along the embankment to ensure water drainage.
The project also has a 120 four-storey cyclone shelters, each of which can house 1,000 people during cyclone emergency.
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