Saudi Arabia’s cruel and unfair attitude towards Muslims is not surprising. They have all but abandoned the Muslim world, particularly the most vulnerable Muslim groups such as the Palestinians, Yemenis and Rohingyas.
The kingdom is now facing a dire economic situation with decreasing oil prices as well as a failed expedition in Yemen, which may be the subject of war crimes investigation in the future.
They demanded Bangladesh government provide 54,000 Rohingya’s with Bangladeshi passports and take 462 Rohingya’s even though Rohingya’s are not citizens of Bangladesh.
The Rohingya community was shocked and dismayed at the unfair pressure Saudi Arabia is creating against Bangladesh, which is hosting over a million Burmese nationals in camps currently.
Rather than creating pressure on Myanmar the Saudi government is pushing Bangladesh. This actually shows how weak and desperate Saudi Arabia is and does not bode well for its future in the international community. Apart from its petro dollars Saudi Arabia can show little substance. Its dismal military performance in Yemen has made it a subject of mockery among the military community around the world.
After all a country which can murder its own prominent citizen in its embassy abroad is capable of doing anything else to foreigners without hesitation. They are yet to develop any sense of fair play, democracy and human decency. Women were just recently allowed to drive cars in the barren kingdom!
Rohingya’s were sheltered in Saudi Arabia since the 1970s – they are in no way a new phenomenon in Saudi Arabia. Most of them live in Mecca and contribute towards the city. These people do not pose any immediate security or economic burden on Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia’s badly managed international relations has ensured it is at loggerheads with all major Muslim countries. Bangladesh looks to be another country that will eventually line up as an opposition towards Saudi Arabia’s despotism.
Bangladesh and Turkey have also increased military ties in recent years, which may also be a source of rage for Saudi Arabia as they are seeking Bangladeshi troops to fight their war in Yemen.
So far Bangladesh said it will not deploy any combat troops in any country without the mandate of the United Nations. Bangladesh itself is not in the business of deploying mercenary troops because it violates the constitution and defence policy of the country.
If Saudi Arabia really wants to send back the Rohingya’s they have to send them back to Myanmar. It is purely a Saudi-Myanmar bilateral issue.
The Bangladesh embassy in Saudi Arabia must create more awareness in Saudi Arabia about the plight of the Rohingya community.
The International Criminal Court is investigating crimes against the Rohingyas and the International Court of Justice is holding a genocide trial against Myanmar.
By making illogical demands on Bangladesh, the Saudi Arabian authorities are assisting the realisation of Myanmar’s goal in expelling all of its Rohingya citizens.
Saudi Arabia’s international image has hit rock bottom in recent years. This latest assault against the Muslim community will only embolden its opponents.
Bangladesh should make all and every preparation to defend itself. Perhaps Dhaka should boost ties with Turkey, Qatar and Iran further to hit Saudi psychology where it hurts the most.
The Muslim Ummah today is all but a dream largely because of the barbaric Saudi despots and their GCC cronies. Since 2017 Bangladesh has sheltered 750,000 more Rohingya’s who escaped the most brutal genocidal campaign since the Bosnian war.
Today over 1.2 million Rohingya’s are sheltered by the Bangladesh government. Bangladesh’s magnanimity towards fellow human beings is a shining example for all countries, especially Muslim nations which compete to be readers of the Ummah.
