BD to uphold existing foreign policy over ME crisis

Bangladesh will uphold its existing foreign policy to address the ongoing Middle East (ME) crisis and hoped that the Islamic countries will continue to stay beside the brotherly nations of the Islamic Ummah.
"We hope that ME crisis will be resolved within a month or two, however, we are maintaining a strong relation with all Arab countries and strongly monitoring the situation and contact with the Saudi Arab and Qatar," a senior official of the Foreign Ministry told the Daily Observer on Wednesday.
He said there is no dilemma over the ME crisis, Bangladesh's Foreign Policy is strong enough to face the situation which is based on 'friendship with all, malice towards none', more over Bangladesh believe on Islamic Ummah that also stressed upon the strong bi-lateral relationship between the two brother like nation.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed their ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting terrorism and backing militant groups -- some backed by regional arch-rival Iran -- and broadcasting their ideology through channel Al Jazeera, that Qatar denied. "As Bangladesh has joined the Saudi-led alliance against terrorism and supported Saudi-led strikes in Yemen and signed in a joint statement mentioned Iran's "malign interference" in the Middle-east's ongoing crisis, so everybody think how Bangladesh will oversee the issue. However, the reality is that such a Saudi move was seen in 2014 which was later mediated by the US within short time and Bangladesh maintain its same policy," the diplomat said.
"We are maintaining the bi-lateral relationship with all ME countries, although we are the member of some alliance but the independent relationship would not be affected by the group decision, however, it would be not hamper the job market there," Secretary for the Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry Begum Samsunnahar told the media on Wednesday at her office.
The statement came as panic spread among the people following the diplomatic tensions as currently, 380,000 Bangladeshis are now working in Qatar and about 15,000 are working in Saudi Arab.