For 16 months into the Rohingya relief effort in Cox’s Bazar, the Camp-in-Charges (CiCs) – government officials who administer the camps — performed their duties out of makeshift offices. Now they have their own offices and private quarters with sleeping and kitchen facilities. The 30 office complexes were designed, built and furnished by a technical team from BRAC’s Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) with UNHCR support.
On Tuesday (Jan 29), BRAC handed over the new offices to the government at a programme held in Camp 4-Extension in Kutupalong, Cox’s Bazar. Dr. Md. Enamur, state minister for disaster management and relief, inaugurated the offices. He congratulated BRAC and UNHCR on their humanitarian efforts.
Md. Shah Kamal, secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Mohammad Abul Kalam, chief of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission, and Marin Din Kajdomcaj, head of UNHCR’s sub-office, were also present among others.
“When you are in command of any camp, you need a command center to serve as a coordination hub. This makes the base pillar of the work strong and communication channels smooth,” said Shamimul Huq Pavel, the Camp-in-Charge of Camp 4-Extension.
Planning began in July 2018 in collaboration with the government, UNHCR and site management agencies. BRAC deployed a dedicated team of architects and engineers for the six-month project.
“Building 150,000 sq-ft in such a short time was an incredible challenge. The buildings, resistant to earthquakes and cyclones, are low-cost and have been constructed with the highest quality of workmanship and materials,” said Shah Alam, BRAC’s head of technical.
Each CiC complex has a 60-seat meeting room, six office rooms, diesel-powered generator shed, gravity water supply system, integrated washroom facilities, and parking spaces.
- Press release
