Arakan News Agency
Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Muhammad Tawhid Hussain, confirmed on Wednesday that the issuance of Bangladeshi passports to Rohingya refugees does not grant them Bangladeshi citizenship, noting that the government provided the passports for practical reasons and national interests, not to change their legal status.
Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said the government initially tried to avoid issuing passports, but later decided to grant passports to around 69,000 Rohingya after considering the broader interests of the country. He added: “A passport does not mean citizenship.”
According to Bangla Tribune, he noted that many countries issue passports to non-citizens in certain cases, emphasizing that the Rohingya are originally from Myanmar and should ultimately be repatriated.
He affirmed that the international community recognizes them as an ethnic group distinct from Rakhine State in Myanmar, and that technical issues should not impede the refugees’ return.
Hussain also pointed out that many Rohingya traveled to Saudi Arabia years ago using Bangladeshi passports due to previous administrative failures, including the use of manually written passports.
He added that Saudi authorities are pressuring Bangladesh to renew passports for Rohingya residents there, creating diplomatic pressure on Dhaka.
Recently, Bangladesh announced its plan to accelerate the issuance of passports for about 69,000 Rohingya living in Saudi Arabia, in a step aimed at addressing existing delays and facilitating their legal status.
