An Agenda for a Dignified and Sustainable Rohingya Refugee Response in Bangladesh The construction of barbed wire fencing around the camps further limits their free movement 82, affects their safety and access to humanitarian services. It was reported83 that thousands of Rohingya refugees were trapped by the fencing as they tried to escape a massive fire that broke out across three camps in March 2021. On-ground testimonials reveal that there was a single exit route as all other access points were fenced in, which affected the ability of older persons, children and persons with disabilities to flee as well as blocked access for fire trucks and other emergency vehicles. There were no prior consultations with affected communities and humanitarian actors to establish the security risks, assess the need and proportionality of additional security measures and explore alternative, community-based approaches towards strengthening camp security.84 The negative consequences of fencing such as barriers to humanitarian access and harmful impacts on peaceful coexistence between Rohingya refugees and host communities were not considered, thus, stigmatising Rohingya as security risks and increasing fear and mistrust between refugees, host communities, local authorities and humanitarian actors. Introducing additional security measures, such as fencing, risks compromising the humanitarian and civilian character of the camps and triggering psychological trauma and distress among Rohingya refugees who were forced to escape similar restrictions in Myanmar. Further, the decision to erect fences along with measures to restrict telecommunications in the camps and neighbouring areas, have adversely affected humanitarian access and aid delivery to both refugees and host communities,85 including the provision of lifesaving information and critical services during the COVID-19 pandemic.86 3.2.1.4 Relocation to Bhasan Char Despite strong advocacy at the national and global level by multiple actors, including donor governments, UN, humanitarian agencies and human rights groups, the Government of Bangladesh has relocated some 18,000 Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char,87 a remote, uninhabited, low lying island in the Bay of Bengal. Concerns about the risks of separation from family and community networks have been raised. 100,000 Rohingya refugees are planned to be relocated to the island in a phased manner. A group of 306 Rohingya, including women and children, rescued from a ship stranded at sea in May 2020, are also currently held on the island. Their request for being returned to the Cox’s Bazar camps and reunited with their families has not yet been fulfilled.88 82 Restrictions on freedom of movement are only permissible in international law for a limited number of purposes and only where it can be demonstrated that the restrictions are necessary, proportionate, and related to identified security concerns. See, Articles 9 and 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). 83 Human Rights Watch, Bangladesh: Refugee Camp Fencing Cost Lives in Blase, 25 March 2021, available at https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/25/bangladesh-refugee-camp-fencing-cost-lives-blase 84 Fortify Rights, Bangladesh: Remove Fencing That Confines Rohingya to Refugee Camps, 9 October 2020, available at https://www.fortifyrights.org/bgd-inv-2020-10-09-2/ 85 Human Rights Watch, Bangladesh: Halt Plans to Fence-In Rohingya Refugees, 30 September 2019, available at https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/30/bangladesh-halt-plans-fence-rohingya-refugees 86 COVID-19: Access to full mobile data and telecommunications in Myanmar and Bangladesh is essential to save lives, say 26 major aid groups, 15 April 2020, available at https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/covid-19-access-full-mobile-dataand-telecommunications-myanmar-and-bangladesh 87 UNB, No disagreement, only few recommendations on Bhasan Char from UN team: Shahriar Alam, The Daily Star, available at https://www.thedailystar.net/rohingya-crisis/news/no-disagreement-only-few-recommendations-bhasan-char-un-teamshahriar-alam-2081277 88 Fortify Rights, Bangladesh: Free Rohingya Refugees Detained on Isolated Island, 12 November 2020, available at https://www.fortifyrights.org/bgd-inv-2020-11-12/ Act for Peace / May 2021 25