Bangladesh condemns Houthi actions in Yemen

Bangladesh today declared its support to a Saudi-led coalition which started launching air strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen since March 26 as the rebels took over capital Sanaa and forced the Middle Eastern country's president to flee the country.

"Bangladesh strongly condemns actions by the Houthis against the legitimate government led by President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi of Yemen. It deplores acts of violence perpetrated by them on the people of Yemen resulting in humanitarian crisis," said a statement issued by the foreign ministry here today.

It was signed by Nripendra Chandra Debnath, director (media) of external publicity wing of the ministry.

The statement mentioned that the Bangladesh government backed all efforts led by Saudi Arabia in restoring the legitimate state authority and realisation of aspirations of the people of Yemen, as well as upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen.

Bangladesh also urges resumption of political process guided by the commitment made by the parties within the Gulf Cooperation Council Framework, the National Dialogue Conference outcomes and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, it added.

Meanwhile, the two Bangladeshi engineers still remain stranded in two Yemen hotels for the fifth consecutive day as they could not find any way to return home because there is no current flight from Saana to Dhaka.

"I am in the hotel. No arrangement to leave the hotel by Monday or near future. I am mentally and physically ill," Golam Mostafa, a civil engineer informed The Daily Star through an e-mail yesterday.

He along with another engineer Sirajul Haque took shelter to separate hotels in Saana since Thursday.

But they were now staying in the hotels for uncertain period of time due to the Saudi led military actions against the Houthi rebels.

Earlier, they had appealed to the government to rescue them immediately. As there is no Bangladesh mission in Yemen, the foreign ministry instructed its embassy in Kuwait to supervise the matter.

The embassy in Kuwait also introduced a hot-line: 00965-94934363 for the Bangladeshis staying in Yemen. The Bangladeshis can communicate with the mission for required help through this hotline.

Meanwhile, many foreign missions and the United Nations evacuated their staff from the war-torn country Ahead of the Houthi rebels' attacks in Yemen's capital.