Mohammed Islam is a Rohingya Muslim who has lived in a refugee camp in Bangladesh since age 9, after his family fled religious tension in his home country of Myanmar.
His life is one of uncertainty coupled with despair, which has deepened in recent weeks because of a Bangladesh government proposal to move 32,000 Rohingya refugees to a remote island that swamps at high tide.
"We don't want to die," he said in an interview. "We are already persecuted; we don't want to suffer more."
Islam, now 29, is an activist at the Nayapara camp, a fetid assemblage of tarp-roofed huts in the touristy Cox's Bazar beachfront area in southern Bangladesh. He said he and other refugees don't want to leave to move to a barren, 15.6-square-mile island in the Bay of Bengal, a two-hour speedboat ride away.
"The refugees are deeply concerned," he said of the island, which completely floods when the tide rolls in. "We are not willing to move from this place until they find a solution."
The remote island, Thengar Char, disappears completely under several feet of water at high tide, and has no roads or barriers to flooding, according to an AFP report. Accounts from locals and a forest department official who oversaw the planting of mangroves on Thengar Char in 2011 gave an indication of the challenges, according to AFP.
"At high tide the entire island is under three to four feet of water," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It is impossible to live there."
About 32,000 Rohingya Muslims live in two government-run camps in the Cox's Bazar area, according to the United Nations, but the government estimates that hundreds of thousands of other Rohingyas live illegally in Bangladesh, a country of more than 155 million.
The stateless Rohingya Muslims have long been victims of persecution in Myanmar. Their situation worsened during violent ethnic clashes in 2012 between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state that resulted in more than 100,000 Rohingya being confined to displacement camps.
An estimated 25,000 Rohingya and others have fled both Bangladesh and the Myanmar camps since January, according to the United Nations, precipitating an international crisis after thousands became stranded at sea attempting to enter Malaysia and Thailand.
Bangladesh's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, criticized the boat people in remarks last month, saying they were "mentally sick" for wanting to leave Bangladesh, adding, "they are tainting the image of the country along with pushing their life into danger."
Hasina had reportedly visited Cox's Bazar in the fall and decided that the grimy Rohingya camps were an impediment to tourism, officials said. A plan to relocate them was launched.
Gowher Rizvi, an adviser and special representative to Hasina, said that the proposed move was still in the preliminary stages and that no final decision had been made.
"There are a large number of Rohingyas, as you know, in Cox's Bazar area, which is not ideal for keeping people there," he said. "There have been discussions about whether or not a better or more suitable location can be found."
The Washington Post
Sat Jun 27 2015
The remote island, Thengar Char, disappears completely under several feet of water at high tide, and has no roads or barriers to flooding, according to an AFP report.
Motorcycling - Marquez wins Australian MotoGP after intense battle with Martin
The 31-year-old, third in the championship standings, has now won the Australian MotoGP four times in the premier class.
Prabowo takes up Indonesian presidency, vows to tackle corruption, other issues
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto on Sunday took over as president of the world's third-largest democracy, vowing to combat internal issues
Nepal's Sherpas deserve more, says teenager who scaled world's 14 tallest peaks
Sherpas are known for climbing skills that make them the backbone of mountain expeditions.
Inside the underground lab in China tasked with solving a physics mystery
China will soon collect neutrino data, aiming to unravel one of particle physics' biggest mysteries.
Millions in Cuba still without power as major outage persists
Millions of Cubans remain without electricity because of a prolonged outage at the main power plants on the island, Anadolu Agency reported.
Surge in Gaza violence increases famine risk, monitor says
About 1.84 million people across the besieged Palestinian enclave are living through high levels of acute food insecurity.
Israel pounds Beirut and Gaza after rockets hit Israel's north
A drone was launched at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's holiday home.
Elon Musk promises to award $1 mil each day to a signer of his petition
He awarded a $1 million check to an attendee of his event in Pennsylvania aimed at rallying supporters behind Donald Trump.
Former special forces commander Prabowo to take up Indonesian presidency
Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto will take over as president of the world's third-largest democracy after sweeping the country's election with policies like free meals for school children
Father of Malaysian Islamic banking, Abdul Halim Ismail passes away
His dedication and pioneering spirit played an important role in shaping the journey of Bank Islam as well as leaving a lasting impact on the development of Malaysia's Islamic finance industry.
Zayn Malik postpones US tour dates after One Direction bandmate Liam Payne's death
Payne, 31, died on Wednesday after falling from a third-floor hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires, shocking fans of the boy band.
Why voters in a handful of swing states will decide the US presidential election
The contest will almost certainly be decided by just tens of thousands of voters a tiny fraction of the populace in a handful of states.
INSIGHT - Sudan's war risks 'lost generation' of children
A devastating crisis is unfolding in Sudan, where the most vulnerable members of society children are bearing the brunt of the violence.
Who is Prabowo Subianto, incoming president of Indonesia?
A wealthy ex-general with ties to Indonesia's popular outgoing president and its dictatorial past, looks set to be its next leader.
Trump says he would impose tariffs on China if China went into Taiwan
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would impose additional tariffs on China if China were to "go into Taiwan,"
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.
Astro AWANI's revamped English news website, AWANI International, launches on Oct 21
Astro AWANI's revamped English platform delivers in-depth global news and expert analysis to keep you informed on key developments.