Moreover, in the event of a storm, those on the island would be cut off for days, and possibly weeks, from new shipments of food, medicine, and other essentials, due to damage to coastline infrastructure and restricted transportation capacities. “With the cyclone season fast approaching, people on Bhashan Char could become stranded with a shortage of food when major storms strike,” Sanjeev Kafley, head of the International Federation of the Red Cross delegation in Bangladesh, told Al Jazeera. During storms in the Bay of Bengal, boats and helicopters are frequently grounded. This means not only would evacuation be impossible but, according to Kafley, this could cut off “the delivery of relief, medicines and other vital supplies.” 74 This would also impede transport of refugees who urgently require specialized health care, for example, pregnant women needing emergency obstetric care. Bangladesh authorities have often pointed out that Bhasan Char withstood Cyclone Amphan in 2020 as proof that the island is safe and that humanitarian concerns are unfounded, stating that the cyclone’s damage to the island was less than predicted. But Amphan, while initially charted to hit Bhasan Char, in fact missed it entirely, and significantly weakened as it approached the coast and made landfall in India. 75 Even so, outside the area of predicted storm surges and highest winds, the island sustained flood damage, demonstrating that damage and flooding could have been far worse had the cyclone come closer. 76 If anything, Amphan foreshadowed the disaster that could be wrought on the island in future storms—particularly given the island’s location, the Bay of Bengal’s meteorological history, and climate change. Instead of recognizing the close call with Amphan and making adjustments, however, the government has been forcing residents to parrot their false narrative. Some refugees told Human Rights Watch that Bangladesh navy officials threatened them after Amphan to tell visitors that they felt safe throughout the storm. Sultana, 19, said, 74 Ibid. 75 “After Cyclone Hits India and Bangladesh, the Waiting Begins,” New York Times, May 21, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/world/asia/cyclone-amphan-india-bangladesh-map.html (accessed May 24, 2021). 76 Copernicus, “[EMSR439] Bashan Char: Delineation Product, Monitoring 1, version 1, release 1, RTP Map #01” May 22, 2020, https://emergency.copernicus.eu/mapping/system/files/components/EMSR439_AOI01_DEL_MONIT01_r1_RTP01_v1.pdf (accessed May 28, 2021). 27 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | JUNE 2021