Bangladesh to Issue Passports to Rohingyas in Saudi Arabia With Valid Documents

Photo: BBC Bangla

Arakan Now | 20 April 2026

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has directed authorities to expedite the issuance of Bangladeshi passports to Rohingyas living in Saudi Arabia who possess valid Bangladeshi documents.

He gave the instruction during a courtesy meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Dhaka, Abdullah Jafar H. bin Abia, at the Secretariat on Monday, according to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs, as reported by BBC Bangla.

The statement said the meeting covered a range of bilateral issues, including law and order, security cooperation, and the status of approximately 69,000 Myanmar nationals—many of them Rohingyas—residing in Saudi Arabia. Discussions also included increasing Saudi investment in Bangladesh’s tourism and energy sectors.

During the meeting, the Saudi ambassador emphasized the need to accelerate the process of issuing passports to Rohingyas.

In response, the minister said that around 22,000 Rohingyas have already received Bangladeshi passports upon providing the required documentation. He added that a special team has been sent to Saudi Arabia to speed up the process.

“Those Myanmar nationals who have Bangladeshi documents or meet the required conditions should be issued passports promptly,” the minister said.

He also instructed officials to obtain a complete list from Saudi authorities and carry out further verification.