Saleem Samad of DOT
The authority to resettle the Rohingya refugees at the newly established Bashanchar, in an island in Noakhali is speedily completing the project. The authority entrusted for the resettlement project stated that the process to transfer the refugees in phases will begin in one and half months, said Ahmed Mokhtar, Adviser Coordinator of the project. Officials are confident that the development of housing, roads, shelter and infrastructure are nearing completion at the soonest.The project includes 1,440 houses for the refugees. Every shelter will be home for 16 families, with an average family size of four.
The shelters are four feet above the ground. For each family of four will have independent kitchen and a toilet. To protect the settlement from tidal surge and cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, a 13 feet wide and 9 feet embankment has been built to protect from any eventualities on the 13,000 acre island.
Thousands of coconut and betel nut trees have been planted in and around the island to reduce the impact of storms and cyclones. The adviser in an interview to BBC Bangla radio broadcast on Tuesday understands that already 85 per cent of the project has been completed and hopefully in one and half months the project will be 100 per cent ready.
It was told that the project will be environment friendly. The human solid waste will be converted into bio-gas, an alternative fuel for cooking. Also electricity will be produced from solar energy.