DHAKA: As the process to shift the Rohingyas from Bangladesh's Cox Bazar to Bhasan Char begins, a sense of excitement has spread among the refugees, who are seeking "peace, comfort and nice housing".
"We will find peace, comfort and nice housing in Bhasan Char," a 60-year-old Mahmuda Khatun told The Daily Star.
She further said, "We had to live under tarpaulin in the camps in Cox's Bazar in too much heat and among too many people. We couldn't bathe and suffered very much."
"Bhasan Char has building to live in and other facilities, we will find comfort and peace there. That's why I am going there on my own will," she added.
While echoing similar sentiments, the Rohingya refugees have emphasised that their decision to shift is not due to any pressure from the government authorities.
They said that the pictures and videos of Bhasan Char have made them feel that the place will ensure the safety, The Daily Star reported.
The refugees further said that there was a lot of discord among people and " little to no scope for work or proper education" in the Cox's Bazar refugee camps.
"There was unrest in the camps and too many fights used to take place," said Khatun.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen had said in a statement that the government will not be forcing the Rohingyas to shift to Bhasan Char.
"We are not taking Rohingyas to Bhasan Char forcibly. We're taking those who are willing to go. They are going to Bhasan Char voluntarily," he said.
Nearly one million Rohingyas, who fled from their native Myanmar in 2018 to escape atrocities from the armed forces, are living in refugee camps across the world, mostly in Bangladesh.