Arman (pseudonym) is seventeen years old. Before coming to Bhasan Char with his family – his mother and sisters– in 2020 he lived in a Rohingya camp located in Cox’s Bazar. His father was killed in Myanmar around six years ago. On Bhasan Char, Arman works as a rickshaw puller. He has left the island three times aided by his own connections. Getting to the Bangladeshi mainland happens via several routes, Swandip Island is one of them, the nearest semi-urban island which has a sizeable population and better communication infrastructure than other smaller, nearby islands. Swandip is one of the oldest river islands that survived for centuries.
Getting off Bhasan Char is not easy for members of the Rohingya community that has been living here since 2020. Initially, Arman had sought formal permission from the camp authorities, claiming that his grandmother living in Cox’s Bazar was ill and that he wished to visit her along with his family. After an intelligence investigation into his claim, the authorities granted him a two-week leave and allowed him to board a Bangladesh Navy’s ship to Chittagong. From there he took a bus to Cox’s Bazar. However, Arman extended his stay in Cox’s Bazar to two months without authorization. As a result, he received a stern warning from the intelligence agencies to return to Bhasan Char immediately, under the threat of facing criminal charges for violating his commitment. Arman complied and returned to resume his job as a rickshaw puller on the island.
Bhasan Char and Swandip Islands are located in close proximity, approximately six kilometers apart, depending on the tide, making them fairly accessible during the winter, when the tides recede. Rohingya islanders who intend to “escape” permanently or temporarily from Bhasan Char consider this temporary channel as an opportunity for crossing the river, either by swimming or with the help of boatmen associated with brokers. Arman told me about one of his departure attempts:
Leveraging his connections with brokers, he arranged for a boat to transport him to Swandip island. The fee of five thousand taka (forty-five Euros) equals nearly half of Arman’s monthly income. Due to the perceived risks (such as being caught by the police or coastguard), the brokers and boatmen demand high fees from the Rohingyas. One night, Arman and two acquaintances ventured to a remote location, far from the designated camp area, in the mangrove forest along the muddy coastline of the island. They encountered several other Rohingya men and women anxiously awaiting to depart. Shortly thereafter, a boat silently approached the shore without any lights. In the darkness, all passengers waded through mud and waist-deep water to board the boat. It took less than an hour to cross the channel and reach another muddy area on Swandip Island. After disembarking, Arman changed his clothes and cleaned himself. The following morning, he took a ferry to Chittagong and then a bus to the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar. During his initial “unauthorized” stay in Cox’s Bazar, he stayed there for several months, accumulating a considerable sum of money. Arman did not unveil the details of his job and income in Cox’s Bazar. Following his first “illegal” trip to Cox’s Bazar, Arman made two more visits. In his own words, “When I go there (Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps), I can earn a good amount of money in a short period of time. I need more money. I have a plan to go to Malaysia, where my brother resides. If I can save about five lakh Taka (four thousand five hundred euros), I can go to Malaysia. I have a reliable contact (the brokers) who will facilitate my journey and I will pay upon my arrival. I plan to take the overland route to Malaysia instead of the boat journey. One day, I will go there; I just need more time to earn some money.”