Bangladesh relocating Rohingya refugees to isolated island

A Rohingya refugee woman who is among those being moved to an island called Bhasan Char cries outside a transit area (Shafiqur Rahman/AP)

Authorities in Bangladesh have begun relocating thousands of Rohingya refugees to an isolated island despite calls by human rights groups for a halt to the process, officials said.

The United Nations has also voiced concern that refugees be allowed to make a “free and informed decision” about whether to relocate to the island in the Bay of Bengal.