British daily The Guardian’s exclusive footage has revealed that concrete ‘prison-like’ camps are being built to relocate Rohingya refugees on a sediment island in Bangladesh. As earlier reported by NDTV, Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladeshi prime minister, had flagged off the plan this October to settle Rohingya on Bhasan Char Island despite facing opposition from several quarters, including the UN.The development of the island has remained highly secretive. The Guardian‘s undercover filmed footage has unveiled the poor living conditions 100,000 Rohingya refugees are going to be forced to live in once relocated to the island in January, 2019.According to The Guardian, around 700,000 refugees who fled Myanmar following a brutal military crackdown and are now living in Cox’ Bazaar are going to be transported to the Bhasan Char Island. This is a remote uninhabited silt Island in Bangladesh’s Meghna river, accessible only by boat.Also read: Rohingya Crisis: A Year Since It Shocked the World, What’s Changed?Cramped spacesAs seen in The Guardian‘s footage, the refugee families will be housed in concrete breeze-block rooms, measuring 2m x 2.5m, with small windows. Each block is made up of over 25 housing units with one common bathroom.Currently, access to the island is prohibited for everyone except day labourers. The island is under tight navy control. Only specific UN officials and Bangladesh government officials are allowed to oversee the developments. No photos or any other details of the island have been released yet.Also read: With Temporary ID Cards in Hand, Seven Repatriated Rohingya Refugees Back in RakhineThe Guardian quoted an activist who filmed the conditions as saying, “Eerie; so many hundreds of thousands of prison-like units fit for an entire city of Rohingya.”“The island is completely administered by the military and the only other people on he island are day labourers. This feels like more like a prison camp that a refugee haven,” added the activist.According to Reuters, various human rights groups and UN aid agencies have consistently raised concerns about the relocation plan. Rohingya in the camps have also opposed the relocation, citing safety issues.Bhasan Char islandBhasan Char island, 30 km from the mainland, emerged from the Meghna river over the past two decades. According to The Guardian, the relocation plan is controversial because of the island’s isolation, besides being prone to floods and cyclones. There are also concerns about the Rohingya’s freedom of movement.Human Rights Watch has released a report saying that the island’s isolation would essentially turn it into a detention centre.Also read: India’s Decision to Deport the Rohingya Is a Violation of International and Domestic Obligations“Bangladesh’s plan to transform a desolate isle into a packed settlement of Rohingya housed in stark concrete residential blocks raised concerns for both freedom movement and long-term sustainability,” Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of human rights watch, told The Guardian.The fate of over one million Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar camps remains uncertain after a plan for repatriating the refugees back to Myanmar was launched. The Guardian quoted a UN spokesperson as saying, “While questions remain over suitability of Bhasan Char, we welcome any attempt to decongest the heavily overcrowded settlements in Cox’s Bazaar.”