Watch: Screams of the Damned in Bashan Char

Cox’s Bazar, (Sept. 17) — After the visit of Rohingya group to Bashan Char, footage of horrible screams of the refugees detained on the Island emerged.

They were screaming begging to be allowed to return to their families, as they met their fellow refugees for the first time since they have been isolated there after their unsuccessful attempt to reach Malaysia or Indonesia and were rescued from boats.

There are more than 300 Rohingya refugees who have been detained in the island shelter since early May and most of them are women.

Earlier this month a group of 40 refugees visited the new facilities under the supervision of Bangladesh Army and Navy in collaboration with the Refugee Rehabilitation and Repatriation Commissioner’s (RRRC) office.

Though some local media reported that “Rohingya leaders satisfied after trip” to the island, those practically living in the facilities are calling on God to save them from the situation. Commenting on the report, Shafiul Rahman, a local documentary maker, twitted, “It is not what I have been hearing.”

In another video circulated online, security forces are seen forcefully stopping the detainees in the island from meeting and joining the visiting team of their fellow refugees.

Rahmat Karim, a refugee from the camp, told RVision about those named as leaders by the local media, “they are neither community leaders nor camp leaders. They don’t represent us and we don’t know them as leaders.” adding “the group includes some members from the old camp (known as registered camp), who are not happy with the new arrivals. They are the men quoted as to be satisfied with the facilities.”

According to HRW, “some said they wanted the refugees detained on the island to be allowed to return with them. Others expressed serious concerns over the quality of medical facilities on the island, the lack of livelihood opportunities, and the safety of the island during monsoon season.”