The remote island of Bhashan Char was first proposed as an option to move the Rohingya in 2015. The island is potentially unsafe for inhabitants given its cyclone- and flood-prone nature.
Many garment factories have reopened, but the coronavirus still affects global demand and orders remain canceled. "I need to work," says one employee. "I'll die of hunger before I die of this virus."
Both countries were already beset by the coronavirus. Now they must cope with the powerful cyclone, which came ashore along their border Wednesday and threatens to snarl virus response efforts.
The massive storm now churning over the Bay of Bengal is expected to make landfall Wednesday local time, deeply complicating both countries' responses to the coronavirus pandemic.
The group, mostly women and children, had been stranded at sea for weeks. Human rights groups have long decried the government's plan to send refugees to flood- and cyclone-prone Bhasan Char island.
Mister Rogers said "look for the helpers" in times of crisis. Here's the story of Shah Dedar. He's 32, he's a Tom Hanks fan — and he works to protect the most vulnerable in crowded refugee camps.
The refugees, mostly women and children described by Bangladeshi officials as "starving," were intercepted late Wednesday after attempting to make landfall.
"Please don't give up on us," the president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said in a YouTube plea addressed to global buyers. "Kindly do not let go of our hands."
"Environmental personhood" was once considered a fringe issue, but several countries have granted rivers within their borders legal person status. Bangladesh became the latest in July.
Bangladeshis who want to work abroad can pay thousands of dollars for a permit. The reward is a chance for a job that allows them to send cash back home. But there's a potential for abuse as well.
Authorities predicted "total destruction" of many homes. The cyclone made landfall early Friday morning, and at least two people have reportedly been killed by the powerful storm.
"We're being outnumbered by the sheer number of the refugee population," says Mohammad Abul Kalam, the head of Bangladesh's Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission in Cox's Bazar.
At the largest refugee camp in the world, Rohingya refugees and aid agencies face numerous challenges. Now they're also dealing with an outbreak of chickenpox.
Bangladesh wants a million Rohingya refugees to go back to Myanmar. But 18 months after most of them fled violence, they are too afraid to go back and are making new lives for themselves in camps.
The man allegedly pulled out a gun and tried to hijack the plane shortly after takeoff. After the aircraft made an emergency landing, military commandos shot and killed him.
In 2017, No Lean Season raised nearly $12 million to help farmhands in Bangladesh travel to the city to find jobs when fields lay fallow. Now they're saying "no" to donations. What happened?
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling alliance handily won Sunday's general election, which saw at least 17 people killed during voting. The main opposition party rejects the results.
