Bangladesh starts Rohingya refugee relocation to Bhasan Char island

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News: Bangladesh has send the first group of more than 1,500 Rohingya refugees to an isolated Bhasan Char island.

Facts:

• Bhasan Char also known as Char Piya is an island in Hatiya Upazila, Bangladesh.It is located in the Bay of Bengal and was formed by Himalayan silt in 2006.
• Concerns: As Bhashan Char falls in an ecologically fragile area prone to floods, erosion and cyclones, it is not considered safe for human settlements.

Additional Facts:

• Rohingya: They are an ethnic group largely comprising Muslims who predominantly live in the Western Myanmar province of Rakhine. In Myanmar, they are classified as resident foreigners or as associate citizens.
• Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees also known as the 1951 Refugee Convention is a United Nations multilateral treaty.The core principle of convention is non-refoulement which asserts that a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom.India is not a signatory to this Convention.
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights(ICCPR): It is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations in 1966.The covenant commits its parties to respect the civil and political rights of individuals including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, electoral rights and rights to due process and a fair trial.