Another 506 Rohingya refugees, comprising 111 families, arrived at Bhasan Char, an isolated island at Hatiya upazila in Noakhali on Tuesday.

The transfer was facilitated by the Bangladesh Navy, which transported them from the Rohingya camps in Cox`s Bazar using four navy vessels: BNS Penguin, Dolphin, Tuna, and Timi.

Additionally, 395 other Rohingya refugees who had previously visited Bhasan Char under a "Go-and-See" visit program have also returned, bringing the total Rohingya population on the island to approximately 40,000.

According to Navy, the transfer was overseen by the National Security Intelligence (NSI). After reaching the island, the refugees disembarked and were taken by vehicle to designated clusters where they will reside.

Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (Bhasan Char), Md. Mahfuzar Rahman, said that these 506 individuals voluntarily chose to relocate to Bhasan Char.

In the meantime, the Bangladesh government has set a target to relocate nearly 100,000 Rohingya from the overcrowded Cox`s Bazar camps to Bhasan Char, where living conditions are more manageable.

Since the initial transfer of 1,642 Rohingya to Bhasan Char in December 2020, around 40,000 Rohingya have now been settled on the island in 24 phases. The project, which includes 120 cluster villages across a 13,000-acre area, was constructed by the government at a cost of Tk 3,095 crore under the supervision of the Bangladesh Navy.