Bhasan Char, 2 February 2025 — A five-year-old child from Cluster No. 52 is in critical condition after nearly drowning in one of the many ponds on the island this evening. The child is currently receiving treatment at the island’s 20-bed hospital, where medical facilities remain limited. This near-tragedy is yet another reminder of the ongoing dangers posed by Bhasan Char’s water bodies, despite repeated assurances from authorities and implementing agencies about safety measures.
There are 120 ponds on the island, many of which remain accessible to children. Every year, children drown in these ponds, yet there appears to be little urgency in addressing this persistent hazard. A year ago, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, TIKA, acknowledged the issue, writing in a press release:
“Accidents that take place every year upon children falling into these ponds caused worries on the island.”
This phrasing is, at best, a euphemism and, at worst, a whitewashing of the reality: children have died. The problem was acknowledged, but action was either insufficient or non-existent.
Last month, a year later, another press release from Tika claimed:
“Safety measures, such as fencing around ponds, were also implemented to prevent child fatalities in Bhasan Char.”
Yet, tonight, a child is fighting for their life after nearly drowning in an unfenced pond. If fencing was truly implemented, why do these incidents keep occurring? Why does the situation on the ground contradict the claims made in these reports?
The repeated failures raise troubling questions about accountability. Tika, the organisation responsible for implementing these so-called safety measures, appears to have little oversight. Meanwhile, the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), the government body tasked with overseeing refugee welfare on Bhasan Char, has yet to ensure that these promised safeguards are actually put in place.
Who is responsible for enforcing safety measures on the island? Why has Tika not been held accountable for its unfulfilled commitments? And how many more children must suffer or die before these ponds are genuinely made safe?
This is not merely a case of administrative incompetence - it is a matter of critical importance. Bhasan Char’s refugee population deserves more than empty promises and deceptive press releases. Until action replaces words, the ponds will continue to claim young lives, and the so-called safety measures will remain nothing more than a hollow reassurance.
Adding to the list of unfulfilled commitments, Tika has also grandly claimed:
“On Bhasan Char Island, TIKA introduced a sea ambulance, the first time in Bangladesh, to ensure faster access to emergency healthcare for the 34,000 Rohingya residents relocated there.”
However, reports indicate that this sea ambulance is not in service. It reportedly developed a fault and was withdrawn, rendering it completely ineffective. No Rohingya refugee has been served by this ambulance since its supposed introduction. This raises further concerns about the credibility of Tika’s projects on Bhasan Char and the accountability of those who allow such failures to persist.
