Govt. seeks to extend visas for stranded Saudi-bound workers: Nur
Dhaka: The government is seeking bilateral talks with Saudi Arabia to extend the visas of Bangladeshi workers stranded in the country, allowing them to travel to the kingdom and join their workplaces, State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Md. Nurul Haque has said.
However, he said the ongoing situation in the Middle East has made negotiations difficult.
“We are trying to find a solution through bilateral discussions, as we have done in the past, for workers whose visas are nearing expiry. We want to extend their visas so that they can return to their jobs,” the state minister told journalists on October 13.
He was responding to questions after the inauguration of a program organized by the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), a research organization working on migration, at a city hotel in the capital.
Haque said arrangements had previously been made to extend visas so that stranded workers could return to their workplaces. However, the situation has become more challenging following Sunday's (October 11) air attack in Riyadh.
“Negotiations are difficult under the current circumstances because they themselves are going through a crisis. Nevertheless, we hope a solution will be reached,” he said.
The state minister said Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries had generally been cooperative in resolving such issues, expressing hope that bilateral discussions would help workers facing visa expiry avoid losing their employment opportunities.
Government monitors casualties
Haque also said the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh had been actively coordinating assistance for Bangladeshi nationals killed and injured in Sunday's attack.
He said the ambassador and senior embassy officials had visited hospitals to check on injured Bangladeshis receiving treatment.
Since the beginning of the regional conflict, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries have cooperated in providing medical treatment to injured Bangladeshis and repatriating the bodies of those killed, he added.
Describing Saudi Arabia as a longstanding and trusted friend of Bangladesh, the state minister said it was the country's moral responsibility to stand by the kingdom during the crisis, rather than merely seek assistance.
The government is also providing support to the families of those killed and affected by the incident, he said.
Compensation for affected workers
Haque said some companies provide compensation under bilateral agreements. In addition, the government provides around Tk13.5 lakh in financial assistance if a worker registered with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) dies abroad.
He noted that around 75% of Bangladesh's overseas workforce heads to the Middle East, with more than half of those workers going to Saudi Arabia.
Although the regional conflict had reduced overseas worker deployments in recent months, the flow had started to return to normal, he said.
The state minister expressed hope that the war would not be prolonged and said reconstruction in affected areas after the conflict could generate substantial employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers.
He added that the government was also exploring alternative overseas labor markets beyond the Middle East to diversify employment opportunities for Bangladeshi migrant workers.
