68 Saudi-bound Bangladeshis forced to return home

Bashir Ahmad

As many as 68 Saudi-bound Bangladeshis have been stranded in a Bahrain airport as Saudi Arabia shut flights from the country due to coronavirus outbreak.

These Bangladeshi passengers disembarked in Bahrain while traveling through the transit route.

They were scheduled to join their work destination in Saudi Arabia through a connecting flight. But Saudi Arabia earlier shut flights with Bahrain due to coronavirus outbreak.

Of the passengers, 62 persons are men and 6 women. Sources said some 15 were going to Saudi Arabia in fresh visas and 53 migrants were returning to work after the completion of leave.

Speaking to Prothom Alo about the matter, Bangladesh labour counsellor in Bahrain, Sheikh Md Touhidul Islam said, “Some passengers were sent back to Bangladesh by a flight of Gulf Air. The rest were scheduled to send back on Tuesday night.”

Of the stranded, Mohammad Khorshed said he has been working in Saudi Arabia for ten years.

“I went to home on three months’ leave. The tenure of my visa is left only for four days. I am worried over my job,” he lamented.

Mahfuza Aktar from Jashore said she is going to Saudi Arabia to work by spending over Tk 100,000 on credit.

“My tenure of visa will expire if I return to Bangladesh. I'll have no option but to sell my land to repay the loans,” Mahfuza told Prothom Alo.

When contacted to Bangladesh ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Golam Moshi said flights between Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries are shut.

He also said Bangladeshis will face trouble if they do not fly directly from Dhaka to Saudi Arabia.

Golam Moshi assured that Bangladesh embassy will try to bring back the Bangladeshis to Saudi Arabia if their visas expire during the period of flight restriction.

*This report has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam.