AS per media reports, some 3000 Bangladeshi citizens working in Yemen, have been trapped there in the face of Saudi-led air offensives on the Shia Houthi rebels. These Bangladeshis need to be immediately evacuated. They are repeatedly appealing for urgent evacuation as the Saudi offensive is intensifying to intercept the rebels and reinstall the deposed Yemeni President. Though Bangladesh requested the International Organisation for Migration (IoM), Saudi Arabia and India, to evacuate Bangladesh nationals on Wednesday, no development has been noticed yet. Referring to the Indian High Commission, a national English daily said India agreed ‘to assist in the evacuation of Bangladesh nationals from Yemen’ on condition of availability of ships. However, the government said that it has taken all possible steps to repatriate those willing to come back home, but no visible action to protect or evacuate the Bangladeshi nationals in Yemen is being observed.
The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary, as per news reports, said that evacuation is difficult as there is no Bangladesh embassy in Yemen. He also said that the government could not send diplomats from nearby embassies, as commercial flights are not running in and out of Yemen. The Foreign Ministry has opened hotlines for Bangladeshi nationals willing to leave Yemen and has advised them to remain in touch with the concerned officials. While the Saudi-led joint forces bomb Sana, rebels control the capital and the Yemeni President has sought refuge in Saudi Arabia, mere opening of hotlines is not enough to ensure the protection or evacuation of the stranded Bangladeshis.
Ministry sources said that the government has also requested Saudi Arabia to extend support to Bangladesh nationals intending to leave Yemen. Bangladesh has in the meantime declared its support to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that launched air strikes against the Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The IoM said its teams in Yemen started concentrating its efforts on March 31 for aiding the internally displaced persons and supporting the evacuations of foreign nationals from the country. The Geneva-based organisation said it was also reviewing options to provide assistance, although security issues are preventing IoM staff from moving around in public, creating difficulties in gathering information at this point.
People are having sleepless nights as most attacks are carried out in the night. There is no guarantee whether the trapped people would be alive or not the next day. The Indian government plans to take back home all of its nationals from the country and has instructed its nationals to stay indoors. India has however already evacuated about 400 and brought them back home by ship. So, why has the Bangladesh government not taken similar steps but is rather depending on Indian support. The military situation in Yemen is getting more intense due to the Shia-Sunni inter-sect hatred and mistrust and political opposition to each other. In chain reactions, the Western powers and the neighbour countries have sided with Saudi Arabia against the Shia rebels. Bangladesh has also sided with Saudi Arabia. Naturally, the Houthi rebels may also take a strong action against the trapped Bangladeshis there, which may put their lives in danger too.
The whole concern is about the trapped Bangladeshis in Yemen and their urgent evacuation is a matter of life and death. Their lives have to be saved.
