Bangladesh authorities allegedly beat up refugees for protesting at Bhasan Char Island, said a report of Human Rights Watch on Thursday.

Naval officers allegedly beat the refugees, including children, in retribution for their hunger strike beginning on September 21, demanding reunification with their families in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps, said the New York-based rights group.

The beatings occurred while the Bangladesh government reportedly formed a committee to begin relocation of 10,000 Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char, it said.

‘In a darkly ironic attempt to portray Bhasan Char as a safe location, Bangladesh authorities beat Rohingya refugees, including children, who were protesting at their detention and begging to return to their families in Cox’s Bazar,’ said Brad Adams, Asia director of HRW in a statement.

The refugees went on hunger strike just days after the government organised a visit in which 40 refugees from the camps in Cox’s Bazar were taken to Bhasan Char for three days.

During the visit, refugees living on the island pleaded to be allowed to return home with their relatives.

Some 300 Rohingyas, who had been stranded at sea for several weeks, were rescued by the Bangladesh Navy in May and were taken to the island, where they have been held for four months now.

A senior officer of the Bangladesh Navy denied the allegation of torture during the hunger strike.

‘It’s totally wrong,’ said the Navy officer.

Bangladesh government built 1,440 shelters in Bhasan Char under Noakhali district, where the authorities have planned to relocate some 100,000 refugees currently living in a camp in Cox’s Bazar.