The Iranian regime is reportedly orchestrating a dangerous plot involving a series of subversive activities in Saudi Arabia during the upcoming Hajj. According to AI-generated analysis, while there is no precise official count, it is estimated that at least 250,000 registered Rohingyas and an additional 150,000 unregistered ones currently reside in Saudi Arabia. Some estimates suggest the number may be even higher. Reports indicate that around 54,000 Rohingya refugees have lived in the Kingdom for decades, despite Saudi efforts to pressure Bangladesh into issuing them passports — even though many of them have never set foot in Bangladesh.

Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the Rohingyas has been complex — shaped by historical acceptance and more recent attempts to shift the burden of their statelessness onto Bangladesh. While the Kingdom had once provided refuge to those fleeing persecution in Myanmar, it has more recently faced internal and external pressure to repatriate them.

Researchers have documented that Rohingyas are involved in various transnational criminal activities — including drug trafficking, theft, homicide, falsification of nationality, and political agitation. In recent years, militant Rohingya groups, particularly the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), have reportedly aligned themselves with global jihadist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS). This volatile environment has enabled Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to recruit Rohingyas — especially ARSA members — for terrorist operations in India and Bangladesh.

Simultaneously, Iran, Qatar, and Turkey have been channeling significant financial resources to promote jihadist indoctrination among Rohingyas, with Iran also actively attempting to convert them to the Shiite sect of Islam.

In January 2020, a report by The Times of India revealed that Indian security agencies had warned their armed forces and border patrols about ISI training 40 Rohingya individuals in Cox’s Bazar. The report stated that this training was being carried out via the Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a Bangladeshi terrorist organization. ISI allegedly provided JMB with an initial installment of 10 million Bangladeshi Taka (approximately US$117,000), funneled through Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

The report also noted that Indian intelligence feared these trained militants would be infiltrated into India via Bangladesh, especially after Pakistani efforts failed to breach India’s Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir due to heightened border security.

In an interview with Deutsche Welle (DW), Siegfried O. Wolf, Director of Research at the Brussels-based think tank South Asia Democratic Forum, described the likelihood of ISI interference as “very high”.

“There is clear evidence that Pakistan, via its ISI in conjunction with the military, is giving protection, training, strategic planning, financial assistance and equipment to terrorist and insurgency groups to destabilize neighboring countries, foremost Afghanistan and India”, Wolf told DW.

He added that besides the “physical hurdles” due to the new international attention on Kashmir, it will be more difficult to keep its cross-border terrorism activities secret and subsequently deny its involvement. As such, the “third country” option is gaining more significance in challenging India.

“In this context, the Rohingyas are coming more and more in the focus of local terror groups. The extraordinarily deplorable conditions of the stateless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh make them vulnerable to Jihadist recruitment measures”, said Wolf.

He further noted that international attention on Kashmir has made covert cross-border operations more difficult for Pakistan, thus increasing its reliance on “third country” strategies — with Rohingyas becoming prime targets for jihadist recruitment due to their vulnerable, stateless status in Bangladesh.

A January 2025 report in Firstpost confirmed long-standing ties between Rohingya groups and radical Islamist organizations. A 2016 report by the International Crisis Group documented that leaders of the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) and the Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front (ARIF) had undergone guerrilla warfare training in Libya and Afghanistan. The report also stated that RSO received further training from JMB.

Over the years, several media reports have reinforced the link between Rohingya militants and jihadist groups. A 2021 report highlighted the support extended by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to Rohingya groups operating in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban in Bangladesh. It also identified another militant group, Aqa Mul Mujahideen (AMM), as having “close ties” with LeT and the Taliban — including weapons training.

Given ISI’s deep-rooted links with radical Islamist outfits across South Asia and Afghanistan, it is inconceivable that the agency would be unaware of these developments. In fact, the Indian government’s stance on ISI’s involvement has also been echoed by Bangladesh’s previous administration, which cited such concerns in its crackdown on ARSA.

While Pakistan’s ISI has been actively recruiting Rohingyas and supplying them with weapons and logistical support, the August 5 jihadist coup in Bangladesh has further emboldened Islamabad. Following the coup, ISI operatives are reportedly making frequent visits to various strategic locations in Bangladesh, including Rohingya camps. Meanwhile, Qatar and Iran, angered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s perceived “silence” on the Palestine issue, are covertly supporting radical Muslim groups in Bangladesh to publicly malign the Crown Prince — labeling him as a “servant of Israel and the United States.” As a result, for the first time in Bangladesh’s history, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has become a regular target of vilification by extremist Muslim groups, with state authorities showing a suspicious lack of response.

Adding to this alarming trend, members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army have recently been seen rallying under the flags of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, while chanting jihadist slogans.

In a particularly disturbing development, Iran has begun recruiting Rohingyas residing in Saudi Arabia to carry out subversive activities during the upcoming Hajj. According to sources, these Iran-recruited Rohingyas may attempt armed attacks on Saudi security forces, whom they have been instructed to brand as “Zionist agents.” It is reported that hundreds of these operatives are running online propaganda campaigns from within Saudi territory, targeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other members of the royal family, accusing them of failing to support the Palestinian cause.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s geopolitical positioning has become increasingly sensitive, caught in the crosshairs of regional and global rivalries. Dhaka now appears to be ensnared in a dangerous trap laid by hostile forces aiming to destabilize Saudi Arabia — a development that could have far-reaching consequences for Bangladesh’s diplomatic ties and the livelihoods of millions of Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom.

One such incident highlighting these undercurrents is the recent arrest of an obscure model, Meghna Alam, in Dhaka for allegedly blackmailing the former Saudi ambassador to Bangladesh, Issa bin Youssef Al-Duhailan. Far from being a routine criminal matter, this case is seen by many as part of a coordinated attempt to smear Saudi royalty and disrupt relations between the two countries.

According to media reports, Meghna Alam was arrested by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Police following an “informal complaint” by the former Saudi envoy. Police stated that they found prima facie evidence implicating a man named Md. Dewan Samir, who allegedly tried to extort US$5 million from the ambassador by using Meghna as a “honey trap”. Samir, CEO of a company called Qawali and owner of Sanjana Manpower, has long been involved in human trafficking through his recruitment agency.

Intelligence sources allege that Samir’s syndicate, which uses women to entrap foreign diplomats, came under the radar of Iranian and Qatari intelligence, who then tasked him with targeting Ambassador Al-Duhailan. Meghna successfully established an intimate relationship with the ambassador and eventually began pressuring him for money. Feeling cornered, the ambassador reportedly turned to the current regime in Bangladesh for help.

This is not the first instance of a Saudi diplomat being targeted in Dhaka. In 2012, Khalaf Al Ali — a senior official serving as Head of Citizens’ Affairs at the Saudi embassy — was gunned down in Dhaka’s high-security Gulshan area.

While a man named Saiful Islam was apprehended and executed in 2019 for the murder, questions remain about the trial’s transparency and legitimacy. Many analysts, including this author, believe that a senior figure within Sheikh Hasina’s government may have ordered the assassination, possibly using a state intelligence agency. It is alleged that Khalaf Al Ali had been secretly meeting with opposition leaders and dissidents — an act that may have led to his death.

As the Hajj season approaches, Saudi Arabia must remain vigilant against covert threats that exploit religious sanctity for political subversion. The Iranian regime’s growing ties with radicalized Rohingya elements — particularly those embedded within the Kingdom — represent not just a threat to national security, but a direct assault on the unity of the Muslim Ummah. This dangerous alliance, fueled by ideological extremism and regional rivalries, could destabilize not only Saudi Arabia but the broader Islamic world. It is imperative for international stakeholders, especially Bangladesh and its allies, to recognize the gravity of this evolving threat and work together to dismantle the networks that weaponize stateless populations for geopolitical gains.

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Source: Weekly Blitz :: Writings