When Abdul Hakim landed on a remote island in the Bay of Bengal some 20 months ago, finding a job was his main concern. There were little to no employment opportunities in Bhasan Char when he arrived in the first batch from a cramped Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar.
Govt distributing income generating items among Rohingyas at Bhasan Char to make them self-dependent
Sat Jul 17, 2021 12:00 AM
Rahima Khatun was beaming next to the new sewing machine that she had been given. Her husband had gotten a fishing net, and together they were weaving dreams of how they would spend their earnings.
They had been on the island for four months. We were getting frustrated as we had nothing to do here. Now, we can do something and earn, Rahima, 40, said.
Her husband, Noor Alam, could barely contain his delight at the prospect of becoming his own man because now he could catch fish and provide for this family.
Even after fears of widespread inundation and extensive damage, Bhasan Char housing and cyclone shelters stood up well against cyclone Yaas, which made its landfall yesterday evening. While the small island off Bangladesh's coast with the Bay of Bengal was not in the cyclone's direct path, residents did experience strong winds and tidal surges about two feet higher than
Abdul Hamid was a little wary of coming to Bhasan Char with his wife and three children in December last year.
He had heard the island on the Bay of Bengal was susceptible to cyclones and people told him such an event would simply sweep him off the island.
He was therefore a little apprehensive when relatives from Cox s Bazar recently called to say Cyclone Yaas was headed his way.
But after seeing the contingencies in place, Abdul Hamid seemed confident of his and his family s safety even if the weather worsened. Officials have held meetings and started public announcements telling us which shelter to go to if the situation deteriorates, said Hamid yesterday while standing in front of a warehouse in Bhasan Char as conditions started to become a little gusty.
After a day of heat at Bhasan Char yesterday, the winds began to pick up towards the evening and there was some rain.
This is the first time after Rohingyas were resettled there that Bhasan Char would see a cyclone in the Bay.
Although the storm was far away yesterday, the authorities at Bhasan Char were taking no chances and were adhering to their standard operating procedures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the refugees. We have already started making people aware of the cyclone. All the shelter centres are ready, Commodore Rashed Sattar, project director of Ashrayan-3 Project, popularly known as the Bhasan Char project, told The Daily Star.