Govt preparing list of Rohingya orphans

The government has been preparing a list of Rohingya orphan children, who crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar and staying in refugee camps in Ukhia and Teknaf upazilas of Cox's Bazar.

Social service department under social welfare ministry is conducting the field level task of preparing the voter list for entitling the orphans to special privileges at the refugee camps.

So far, 14,740 Rohingya children have been identified as orphans since the department started the process on September 20, our Cox's Bazar staff correspondent reports.

The list comprises of the children, who have lost both of their parents.

The number of orphan children may raise to 20,000, said Deputy Director of the Cox's Bazar social welfare office Pritom Kumar Chowdhury.

A total of 40 officers of Social Welfare Department conducted the process of enlisting the orphans.

The enlisted children will get identity cards to get the special privileges, the official told the correspondent.

To rehabilitate the Rohingya children, the ministry has sought to the district administration around 200 acres of land out of 3,000 acres at Balukahli proposed Rohingya camp, he said.