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Rohingya crisis: Bangladesh plans huge camps for refugees Rohingya crisis: Bangladesh to restrict movement of refugees
(35 minutes later)
The Bangladeshi government has announced plans to build shelters for up to 400,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing from neighbouring Myanmar. Bangladesh has announced wide-ranging restrictions on the movement of more than 400,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled neighbouring Myanmar since August.
The army and aid agencies are due to erect 14,000 shelters, each housing six families, near the city of Cox's Bazar. They must stay in fixed places allocated to them by the government and not travel elsewhere, police say.
Since late August over 400,000 Rohingya are thought to have fled to Bangladesh, to escape a government offensive. Bangladesh also announced plans to build shelters for up to 400,000 people near the city of Cox's Bazar.
The UN says Myanmar's operation could amount to ethnic cleansing. Rohingyas have been fleeing a Myanmar government offensive, which the UN says could amount to ethnic cleansing.
Rights groups have accused the military of burning Rohingya villages.Rights groups have accused the military of burning Rohingya villages.
But the army says it is responding to attacks by militants and denies it is targeting civilians.But the army says it is responding to attacks by militants and denies it is targeting civilians.
Meanwhile, a fresh diplomatic row between Bangladesh and Myanmar has broken out over alleged violations of Bangladeshi airspace in the past week.Meanwhile, a fresh diplomatic row between Bangladesh and Myanmar has broken out over alleged violations of Bangladeshi airspace in the past week.
What else do we know of the planned new shelters? What are the new restrictions?
According to a report in Bangladesh's Daily Star newspaper, the new shelters will be on a site covering about 8 sq km (3 sq miles) of land, close to established camps which have been overwhelmed by arrivals from Myanmar. In a statement, Bangladeshi police said Rohingya Muslims would not be allowed to travel anywhere outside of their allocated homes, not even to live with family or friends.
Transport operators and drivers have also been urged not to carry refugees, with landlords told not to rent out any property to them.
Analysts say the government wants to stop the Rohingya from disappearing into the general population and to keep them visible, in the hope of returning them to Myanmar - or even a third country.
What do we know about the new shelters?
According to Bangladesh's Daily Star newspaper, the new shelters will be on a site covering about 8 sq km (3 sq miles) of land, close to established camps which have been overwhelmed by arrivals from Myanmar.
A total of 8,500 temporary toilets will be built and 14 "makeshift warehouses" will be set up near the shelters, the paper says.A total of 8,500 temporary toilets will be built and 14 "makeshift warehouses" will be set up near the shelters, the paper says.
The government hopes that there will be enough places for 400,000 people, AFP news agency reports, quoting Bangladesh's disaster management secretary, Shah Kama. It is meant to be built within 10 days.The government hopes that there will be enough places for 400,000 people, AFP news agency reports, quoting Bangladesh's disaster management secretary, Shah Kama. It is meant to be built within 10 days.
A rubella and polio vaccination campaign for the many refugee children reportedly started on Saturday morning.A rubella and polio vaccination campaign for the many refugee children reportedly started on Saturday morning.
An ambitious plan, but is it plausible?
Jonathan Head, BBC Southeast Asia correspondent
Bangladesh faces a colossal task accommodating the now more than 400,000 Rohingyas who have fled Myanmar. It rightly demands a lot more international support. And that support has been slow in coming.
One reason is the dramatic surge in the numbers of refugees in a very short period of time. Another is the politics of aid in southern Bangladesh.
The government has chosen in the past not to give the lead role in coordinating assistance to Rohingyas to UN agencies. Instead that role has been given to the International Organization for Migration, an agency with expertise in assisting and monitoring migrants, but not in running large humanitarian relief efforts. It is not clear who is coordinating the current aid effort.
In this context, the plan to build 14,000 homes, and 8,000 latrines is ambitious. The ten-day timescale set by the government seems unrealistic. In reality, many tens of thousands of Rohingyas are surviving with no shelter and little food, with more arriving every day. No-one has yet drawn up a plausible plan for assisting them all.
Why are the Rohingya fleeing?Why are the Rohingya fleeing?
People who fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh told the BBC earlier this month about killings, rape and even massacres, while inside Rakhine, a BBC crew witnessed charred homes inside Rakhine.People who fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh told the BBC earlier this month about killings, rape and even massacres, while inside Rakhine, a BBC crew witnessed charred homes inside Rakhine.
On Friday, HRW released a report in which it accused the military of an "ethnic cleansing campaign" - words which echo those used by UN human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein on Monday.On Friday, HRW released a report in which it accused the military of an "ethnic cleansing campaign" - words which echo those used by UN human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein on Monday.
It detailed scores of villages targeted with arson attacks.It detailed scores of villages targeted with arson attacks.
"Our field research backs what the satellite imagery has indicated - that the Burmese military is directly responsible for the mass burning of Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine State," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director."Our field research backs what the satellite imagery has indicated - that the Burmese military is directly responsible for the mass burning of Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine State," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director.
"The United Nations and member countries should urgently impose measures on the Burmese government to stop these atrocities and end the forced flight of Rohingya from Burma."
The UN Security Council has already appealed to Myanmar to stop the violence but no sanctions have been imposed.The UN Security Council has already appealed to Myanmar to stop the violence but no sanctions have been imposed.
What do the authorities say?What do the authorities say?
Myanmar's envoy to the UN has blamed the Rohingya insurgents for the violence in Rakhine state and said that his country would never tolerate such atrocities.Myanmar's envoy to the UN has blamed the Rohingya insurgents for the violence in Rakhine state and said that his country would never tolerate such atrocities.
Government spokesman Zaw Htay has urged displaced people to find refuge in temporary camps set up in Rakhine state but said Myanmar would not be able to allow all those who fled to Bangladesh to return.Government spokesman Zaw Htay has urged displaced people to find refuge in temporary camps set up in Rakhine state but said Myanmar would not be able to allow all those who fled to Bangladesh to return.
How is the crisis affecting relations between Myanmar and Bangladesh? How is the crisis affecting Myanmar-Bangladesh relations?
Tensions have been mounting between the two countries, with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina heading to the UN General Assembly on Saturday to ask for more pressure to be put on Myanmar to help deal with the crisis. Tensions have been mounting, with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina heading to the UN General Assembly on Saturday to ask for more pressure to be put on Myanmar to help deal with the crisis.
Separately, Bangladesh has lodged a formal protest with Myanmar about its use of military drones and helicopters which, it alleges, have violated Bangladeshi airspace on three days in the past week. Bangladesh has also lodged a formal protest with Myanmar about its use of military drones and helicopters which, it alleges, have violated Bangladeshi airspace on three days in the past week.
Bangladesh described their use as "provocative". Myanmar denies the allegation.Bangladesh described their use as "provocative". Myanmar denies the allegation.
The two countries have also locked horns over the issue of landmines on the border. Bangladesh accuses Myanmar's army of planting new landmines to stop refugees from returning to their villages. The two countries have also locked horns over the issue of landmines, with Myanmar denying Bangladesh accusations that its army is planting them on the border to stop refugees from returning to their villages.
But Myanmar officials deny this, saying they were old mines planted during military rule in the 1990s.
The BBC has spoken to Rohingya Muslims who were maimed after apparently stepping on landmines as they fled, but it was not clear when the mines were laid or by whom.The BBC has spoken to Rohingya Muslims who were maimed after apparently stepping on landmines as they fled, but it was not clear when the mines were laid or by whom.
Who are the Rohingya?Who are the Rohingya?
There were at least a million members of the Rohingya ethnic group living in Myanmar, most of them Muslim, though some are Hindu.There were at least a million members of the Rohingya ethnic group living in Myanmar, most of them Muslim, though some are Hindu.
They are thought to have their origins in what is now Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, but many have been present in Myanmar for centuries.They are thought to have their origins in what is now Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, but many have been present in Myanmar for centuries.
The law in Myanmar does not recognise the Rohingya ethnic minority as one of its "national races" and they are effectively denied citizenship.The law in Myanmar does not recognise the Rohingya ethnic minority as one of its "national races" and they are effectively denied citizenship.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called on Myanmar to take the Rohingya refugees back. Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina has called on Myanmar to take the Rohingya refugees back.