Dhaka, Riyadh in dispute over issuing passports for Rohingyas in Saudi Arabia

[The Ronin]

Bangladesh is under renewed pressure from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to issue Bangladeshi passports to 54,000 Rohingyas living in that country for decades.

Riyadh has threatened Dhaka that failure to do so will result in sending back Bangladeshis from Saudi Arabia, the single largest source of remittance for Bangladesh.

However, Dhaka says Bangladesh will not bring those people, who have been living in Saudi Arabia for three or four decades, after issuing passports or travel documents as they are not citizens of the country.

Bangladeshi diplomats both in Dhaka and Saudi Arabia agree that it is a troubling and sensitive matter as Saudi Arabia, host to the largest number of expatriate Bangladeshis, is involved.

Therefore, they said that the government is handling this issue carefully and a committee, headed by the foreign secretary, is looking into the issue.

In 1980s and 1990s, the then Saudi king took many Rohingyas in after being sympathetic, witnessing the distress of the persecuted community, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told reporters on Wednesday.

Many of them went directly, while some may have gone through Bangladesh, he said.

“We do not know this fully,” he added.

“Now, they [the Saudis] are saying that there are 54,000 Rohingyas there who have no passports and documents. They are also saying to us to issue passports for them. We have said we will issue new passports if they held passports earlier, and if they have the papers related to passports. If they are not our people, we will not take them,” said the foreign minister.

When asked how Saudi Arabia can ask Bangladesh to issue passports for those who are not its citizens, he said: “This is a problem.”

As his attention was drawn to Saudi threat that Bangladeshis in that country will be sent back if passports are not issued to Rohingyas, Dr Momen said: “Some people at junior level are saying that ‘if you do not take them [the Rohingyas], back we will stop recruiting from your country and we will take a negative approach towards your 2.2 million people living here.’

“This has been conveyed to us from junior level. But I think it will not sustain,” he added.

The minister also said: “Saudi Arabia is in a hurry. They are saying that they will not host any people without citizenship. They are telling us to address the issue quickly. They raise this issue frequently. We are continuing our talks.”

Saudi govt not looking to send back all 54,000 Rohingyas

Later in the day, the foreign minister told Dhaka Tribune that Saudi Arabia does not want to send back all the 54,000 Rohingyas to Bangladesh.

Rather, he said that the kingdom just wants to ensure that these people have citizenship as, under the Saudi laws, the Rohingyas cannot be citizens of that country.

“We have asked them to provide the details. If we can be sure that those people went there using Bangladeshi passports, we will look into it,” said the minister.

“What they are talking about now is sending back 462 Rohingyas who are in jail. They provided us with the details and we have found that only a small number of people used Bangladeshi passports,” he added.

When asked if Saudi Arabia asked Bangladesh to take back all the Rohingyas living in that country, Dr Momen replied in the negative.

This particular problem not a new one

This particular problem is not a new one, according to the diplomats.

Saudi Arabia drew the attention of Bangladesh to this matter informally between 2007 and 2009.

In 2016, the Saudi foreign minister raised the matter with the then foreign minister of Bangladesh.

Earlier in the year, the Saudi government asked Bangladesh to take back 42,000 Rohingyas, as Riyadh believed that those persecuted people travelled to the kingdom with Bangladeshi passports.

Most of the Rohingyas live near Mecca, the holiest site for the Muslims.

Saudi Arabia wrote to Bangladesh quite a few times to address the issue, to which Dhaka asked Riyadh to provide the details with respect to the matter.

Test for Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia relationship

The issue regarding the Rohingyas has all but posed a challenge for the Dhaka-Riyadh relationship that is considered to be a very important one, say the diplomats.

In recent years, the ties between the two Muslim majority countries got closer in many fields, including all-important manpower and defence.

After a closure for seven years, the kingdom reopened its labour market for Bangladeshi workers in 2015.

Both the countries signed defence agreement and Bangladesh, the third largest Muslim populated country in the world, lent its support to Saudi Arabia in Yemen war. Bangladesh also joined the Saudi Arabia-led military alliance against terror organization Islamic State.

In January, the then Bangladesh ambassador in Riyadh, Golam Moshi, conveyed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that the issue in relation to Saudi desire to send back the Rohingyas is a big challenge for the relationship.

He also laid emphasis on formulation of a policy in this regard.

Dhaka, Riyadh in dispute over issuing passports for Rohingyas in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh puts pressure to issue passports to 54,000 Rohingyas living in that country, threatens to send back Bangladeshis if Dhaka does not yield

www.dhakatribune.com

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

After Pakistan, they're now targeting Bangladesh?

Saudis must really fear the alternative bloc and becoming irrelevant.

Combined populations of Pakistan and Bangladesh is larger than the total population of 22 Arab countries (I think).

 

[Imran Khan]

KSA is right here as these guys were enter in kSA with bangladesi passport that times its now BD responsibilty to take them back with BD passports .


Earlier in the year, the Saudi government asked Bangladesh to take back 42,000 Rohingyas, as Riyadh believed that those persecuted people travelled to the kingdom with Bangladeshi passports.

 

[Imran Khan]

After Pakistan, they're now targeting Bangladesh?

Saudis must really fear the alternative bloc and becoming irrelevant.

Combined populations of Pakistan and Bangladesh is larger than the total population of 22 Arab countries (I think).

KSA is right why should someone blame them ? not every country is lala land we have 6 lakh bangladeshis and we are unable to send 6 back . these guys used BD passports to enter KSA back then so its BD fault to issue them passport that times . now where ksa send them ?

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

KSA is right why should someone blame them ? not every country is lala land we have 6 lakh bangladeshis and we are unable to send 6 back . these guys used BD passports to enter KSA back then so its BD fault to issue them passport that times . now where ksa send them ?

I see. Bangladesh tried to fool the Saudis.

 

[Imran Khan]

I see. Bangladesh tried to fool the Saudis.

back them BD passport was for sale on 500 taka and anyone can buy it same like menual paksitani passports back then it was early 2000s when there was chaos at our embassies around the world when we purified our data . thousands of burmees afghans bengalis indians were revoked thier pakistani passports . i was back then in medina and see saudi arrange national gurads on our counsltes embassy because of safety issue . every afghan was canceled he start fighting with staff .

 

[Destranator]

Bangladesh has a terrible record with the Rohingyas. Now they are using them as blackmail to hold richer countries hostage to their hegemonic designs in South Asia.

I know. Bangladesh might eventually stoop even lower one day and sell military hardware to the Rohingya oppressors.

 

[Destranator]

back them BD passport was for sale on 500 taka and anyone can buy it same like menual paksitani passports back then it was early 2000s when there was chaos at our embassies around the world when we purified our data . thousands of burmees afghans bengalis indians were revoked thier pakistani passports . i was back then in medina and see saudi arrange national gurads on our counsltes embassy because of safety issue . every afghan was canceled he start fighting with staff .

You hit the nail in the head.

 

[El Sidd]

I know. Bangladesh might eventually stoop even lower one day and sell military hardware to the Rohingya oppressors.

Thank you for your comment. Enjoy your PDF experience.

 

[mb444]

This is saudis problem....tell them to go talk to the country they came from.

Irrelevant nonsense, let saudis do what they want, BD is not about to collapse if they stop manpower export....empty threat...

BDs in saudi are there to work, it is not charity on Saudis part. They economic harm they will do to themselves will be far greater than the cost of hosting the rohingyas.... SA business people are not so retarded.

BD should nod and accept this is an issue for SA and then jog on...

 

[Bengal71]

This is saudis problem....tell them to go talk to the country they came from.

Irrelevant nonsense, let saudis do what they want, BD is not about to collapse if they stop manpower export....empty threat...

BDs in saudi are there to work, it is not charity on Saudis part. They economic harm they will do to themselves will be far greater than the cost of hosting the rohingyas.... SA business people are not so retarded.

BD should offer nod this is an issue for SA and then jog on...

They should pressure the Burmese government instead.

When you give a stick to a gentleman, he will use it as a walking stick and occasionally use it to defend himself when attacked. But if you give it to a monkey, he won't know what to do with it and start hitting in every direction in craze.

The Saudis have only one leverage against BD, the labor force and they want to use it as a stick. BD should work fast to take away the stick from the monkey as soon as possible. I have been saying for long that we must start removing labor force from Arab countries and ensure we can still get by economically.

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

back them BD passport was for sale on 500 taka and anyone can buy it same like menual paksitani passports back then it was early 2000s when there was chaos at our embassies around the world when we purified our data . thousands of burmees afghans bengalis indians were revoked thier pakistani passports . i was back then in medina and see saudi arrange national gurads on our counsltes embassy because of safety issue . every afghan was canceled he start fighting with staff .

Wow. Has the situation improved now in your opinion or it's still the same?

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

They should pressure the Burmese government instead.

When you give a stick to a gentleman, he will use it as a walking stick and occasionally use it to defend himself when attacked. But if you give it to a monkey, he won't know what to do with it and start hitting in every direction in craze.

The Saudis have only one leverage against BD, the labor force and they want to use it as a stick. BD should work fast to take away the stick from the monkey as soon as possible. I have been saying for long that we must start removing labor force from Arab countries and ensure we can still get by economically.

What's the alternative? Who else would employ 2.2 million Bangladeshis?

You have to remember that when a nation falls out with Saudi Arabia, they use their influence and power on other nations to systemically punish that particuar nation they've fallen out with.

In other words, if Bangladeshis are removed from Saudi Arabia in anger, that means they will be systematically denied in rest of the 21 Arab countries. And, their influence is normally far and wide.

You are also aware that Saudis love destroying Muslim nations, it gives them a great buzz.

 

[Bengal71]

What's the alternative? Who else would employ 2.2 million Bangladeshis?

You have to remember that when a nation falls out with Saudi Arabia, they use their influence and power on other nations to systemically punish that particuar nation they've fallen out with.

In other words, if Bangladeshis are removed from Saudi Arabia in anger, that means they will be systematically denied in rest of the 21 Arab countries. And, their influence is normally far and wide.

You are also aware that Saudis love destroying Muslim nations, it gives them a great buzz.

Their influence doesn't go beyond the GCC and outside of GCC we don't have any labor force in other Arab countries. We have labor force in Malaysia, Singapore, North America, Europe etc, they have no influence or leverage there.

BD (and Pakistan) should ensure to create the environment to employ it's own people in it's own country. It's a folly to depend on other countries for the employment of one's own citizens. The Arab wealth is coming to end soon, at least to the point they won't have the luxury of employing foreign labor for everything in their countries while they squat in their gold plated toilet seats. Even simple foresight and planning ahead requires that BD starts removing labor force from Arab countries as a matter of urgency.

As for destroying, it only works for their punny Arab countries ruled by tinfoil dictators. It doesn't work against a nation as strong as Bengalis. We are a totally monolithic nation and hyper nationalists if cornered or attacked.

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

Their influence doesn't go beyond the GCC and outside of GCC ...

They've successfully destroyed Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen so far. Lebanon Is being pushed in that list while Iran has been internationally treated as a pariah state for 40 years.

BD (Pakistan) should ensure to create the environment to employ it's own people in it's own country. ...

I know but if only wishes were horses brother.

The only thing our two nations are good at ensuring since their creation is trying to survive. I mean we are talking about the well-being of around 380 million people.