Hossain said, “Due to our own mistakes, a large number of Rohingyas went abroad with Bangladeshi passports many years ago. At that time, the passports were handwritten, and there were numerous allegations of corruption…The situation is such that those who went with our passports are being pressured by the Saudis to have their passports renewed by us. When a decision is made in the context of any country, many other interests are involved. Just know this: we tried to avoid doing it, but due to our other interests, we ultimately decided to give Bangladeshi passports to these 69,000 Rohingyas. A passport does not mean the person is a citizen of Bangladesh.”

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 29, 2026 11:57 UTC