Forest Department objects as Cox's Bazar hills cut for 900 concrete-iron Rohingya houses

The newly built accommodations raise questions of whether the Rohingya are to extend their stay in Bangladesh

About 900 two-storey houses with iron frames on concrete are being constructed for Rohingya refugees by cutting hills at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar’s Ukhiya Upazila, drawing an objection from the Forest Department.

Although the Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commissioner’s office and the UNHCR say these are still “completely temporary structures,” locals argue that the facilities indicate permanent settlements instead.

Under the project, at least 888 such settlements are being constructed in the Extension 'E' block of Kutupalong Camp No. 4, according to the Forest Department and locals.

Construction on ‘Reserved’ Land

Cox's Bazar South Forest Division's Ukhiya Range Officer Abdul Mannan said they strongly protested the settlements soon after learning of them.

"This is reserved land of the Forest Division. But since the camp authorities are responsible for the land inside the camp, we cannot directly control it,” he said.

So far, around 80-90 percent of the project has been completed as several hundred workers are employed simultaneously, the forest ranger said.

Mannan said, "For this project, a 10-foot road has been cut down in the hills. There is extensive damage to the environment, including the destruction of trees.

“We tried to stop it from our position. But since the work is on such a large scale, it was not effective," he said, recounting that the area was previously a reserved forest.

The way the land has been levelled there now, it is evident that the mountains have been cut down, said Mannan.

RRRC Alleges 'Exaggeration'

Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammed Mizanur Rahman said the project is being “exaggerated”.

The houses are being built following a design approved by the inter-ministerial committee in 2021-22.

Despite admitting that iron is being used in the facilities, he argued that the houses are not “permanent”.

Regarding the use of concrete, he said: "It is not a completely concrete base, but basically a floor-like foundation is being provided so the structure does not have to be placed directly on the ground."

On hill cutting, he said the project has been temporarily stopped due to objections on the matter.

The UN refugee agency says the new shelters are designed to increase disaster resilience.

UNHCR spokesperson Mosharraf Hossain said the shelters are made of bamboo and plastic sheets, with steel pipes up to three inches in diameter, and the entire structure is connected by nuts and bolts, making them easy to dismantle.

"These shelters are not permanent structures and do not indicate any change in the temporary refuge of the Rohingya in Bangladesh,” he said, adding that the project design was cleared by authorities.

Locals Fear Extended Rohingya Presence

Bangladeshis fear that deforestation, road construction, and two-storey structures will lead to a long-term Rohingya presence.

Palongkhali Union Council Chairman M Gafuruddin Chowdhury finds the construction "worrying".

“Strong infrastructure will pave the way for permanent residence for the Rohingya, which could hinder their repatriation," he said.