LONDON: The UK capital is preparing to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III on May 6 with a range of events, including in Carnaby, London’s fashion and dining destination.
In the district’s Kings Court, more than 25 dining experiences are on offer for those celebrating the coronation, including Syrian, Korean and Indian cuisine.
Carnaby Street will host a 3D Union Flag shimmer disc, as well as an illuminated crown in the lead-up to May 6.
Nearby, shops in Marylebone Village are offering special product selections to mark the occasion, including Union Jack chocolates, “King’s Blue” English cheese and zero-waste drinks celebrating the monarch’s promotion of environmentalism.
The Theatre Royal Drury Lane, one of London’s most iconic buildings and the only theater in the world still operating under royal charter, has been visited by every reigning British monarch since 1663.
The theater is celebrating the coronation by hosting tours, afternoon teas and special performances.
Its restored Grand Saloon, which features chandeliers and a fine art collection, will host the set of afternoon teas from April 19 to May 10.
A coronation selection will include scones and jam, cakes, tea by the Rare Tea Co. and more. Guests can also take part in the theater tours to discover the site’s four-century history.
Meanwhile, American-inspired shop Hummingbird Bakery, one of the capital’s most popular locations for desserts and treats, is releasing a unique collection to mark the coronation.
The Hummingbird coronation collection includes hampers, vanilla Union Jack cakes, whiskey bundt cakes and more.
London to celebrate King Charles coronation with range of events
https://arab.news/rutmk
London to celebrate King Charles coronation with range of events
- Syrian cuisine, Drury Lane tours, coronation food on offer in the capital
- A coronation selection will include scones and jam, cakes, tea by the Rare Tea Co. and more
Bangladesh halts controversial relocation of Rohingya refugees to remote island
- Administration of ousted PM Sheikh Hasina spent about $350m on the project
- Rohingya refuse to move to island and 10,000 have fled, top refugee official says
DHAKA: When Bangladesh launched a multi-million-dollar project to relocate Rohingya refugees to a remote island, it promised a better life. Five years on, the controversial plan has stalled, as authorities find it is unsustainable and refugees flee back to overcrowded mainland camps.
The Bhasan Char island emerged naturally from river sediments some 20 years ago. It lies in the Bay of Bengal, over 60 km from Bangladesh’s mainland.
Never inhabited, the 40 sq. km area was developed to accommodate 100,000 Rohingya refugees from the cramped camps of the coastal Cox’s Bazar district.
Relocation to the island started in early December 2020, despite protests from the UN and humanitarian organizations, which warned that it was vulnerable to cyclones and flooding, and that its isolation restricted access to emergency services.
Over 1,600 people were then moved to Bhasan Char by the Bangladesh Navy, followed by another 1,800 the same month. During 25 such transfers, more than 38,000 refugees were resettled on the island by October 2024.
The relocation project was spearheaded by the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted last year. The new administration has since suspended it indefinitely.
“The Bangladesh government will not conduct any further relocation of the Rohingya to Bhasan Char island. The main reason is that the country’s present government considers the project not viable,” Mizanur Rahman, refugee relief and repatriation commissioner in Cox’s Bazar, told Arab News on Sunday.
The government’s decision was prompted by data from UN agencies, which showed that operations on Bhasan Char involved 30 percent higher costs compared with the mainland camps in Cox’s Bazar, Rahman said.
“On the other hand, the Rohingya are not voluntarily coming forward for relocation to the island. Many of those previously relocated have fled ... Around 29,000 are currently living on the island, while about 10,000 have returned to Cox’s Bazar on their own.”
A mostly Muslim ethnic minority, the Rohingya have lived for centuries in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state but were stripped of their citizenship in the 1980s and have faced systemic persecution ever since.
In 2017 alone, some 750,000 of them crossed to neighboring Bangladesh, fleeing a deadly crackdown by Myanmar’s military. Today, about 1.3 million of them shelter in 33 camps in the coastal Cox’s Bazar district, making it the world’s largest refugee settlement.
Bhasan Char, where the Bangladeshi government spent an estimated $350 million to construct concrete residential buildings, cyclone shelters, roads, freshwater systems, and other infrastructure, offered better living conditions than the squalid camps.
But there was no regular transport service to the island, its inhabitants were not allowed to travel freely, and livelihood opportunities were few and dependent on aid coming from the mainland.
Rahman said: “Considering all aspects, we can say that Rohingya relocation to Bhasan Char is currently halted. Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s regime, only one batch of Rohingya was relocated to the island.
“The relocation was conducted with government funding, but the government is no longer allowing any funds for this purpose.”
“The Bangladeshi government has spent around $350 million on it from its own funds ... It seems the project has not turned out to be successful.”
