'Rohingya with Bangladeshi passport in Saudi Arabia considered as Bangladeshi'
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Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Issa bin Youssef Al-Duhailan on Sunday said the government of Saudi Arabia is considering those Rohingya people are living in Saudi Arabia with Bangladeshi passports as Bangladeshis.
“They came with Bangladeshi passports to Saudi Arabia,” he told reporters.
After attending a food baskets distribution ceremony at a city hotel, the Saudi Ambassador said they have already sent a list of 55,000 people who lost their documents or documents’ validity got expired, reports UNB.
He said their documents just need to be renewed or reissued and there is a high-level committee with relevant authorities in Bangladesh to study their issues. “We’re working very hard together.”
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan who was present at the same programme said the government will surely provide passports if the Bangladeshis are there in the group who do not have passports.
He said the Rohingyas who went to Saudi Arabia identifying themselves as Bangladeshis with Bangladeshi passports will be considered if they apply for renewing passports.
“They’re not Bangladeshi citizens who are from Myanmar, they’re Myanmar citizens. It’s clear,” said the Home Minister.
He said the Rohingya issue is a very old one, around 50 to 60 years’ old issue and the Saudi Arabia was so generous to take Rohingyas in the past. “The Rohingyas live in a particular area of a Saudi city.”
The Home Minister said Bangladesh saw the huge influx in August 2017 and over 1.1 million Rohingyas are now living in Bangladesh.
He thanked the Saudi government for its support towards Rohingya repatriation efforts apart from extending the humanitarian ones for the persecuted people.
The Home Minister said Bangladesh continues its efforts on all fronts for the repatriation of Rohingyas to their place of origin in Rakhine State and hoped that the Saudi government will continue its support.
He said the relationship between Bangladesh and the Saudi Arabia will be strengthened further in the coming days.
The Saudi Ambassador said the proposed visit of Saudi Foreign Minister has been postponed due to his domestic engagement and new circumstances; and the visit will take place soon to discuss bilateral relations.