It is a sigh of relief for Shaheed Ahmed and his father as the Covid-19 certificate shows that Shaheed, a Saudi-bound migrant worker, has tested negative and is eligible to fly back to Jeddah. The photo was taken at a testing centre at the Mahakhali DNCC Market in the city on Sunday — FE photo by KAZ Sumon Bangladesh has requested the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to increase flights between the two countries so that the expatriates who got stuck here can return to their workplaces smoothly, reports UNB.
Bangladesh also urged the KSA to give permission to Biman Bangladesh Airlines to operate flights on Dhaka-Dammam route.
Currently, the national flag carrier has permission to operate flights to Riyadh, Madinah and Jeddah.
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen made the request to his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during a telephone conversation on Sunday evening.
The Saudi government on Wednesday positively responded over workers' issues ending barriers to their return to the workplaces in the KSA.
Dr Momen thanked his KSA counterpart for increasing Iqama validity for Bangladeshi workers and allowing them to extend visa validity if expired already, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile another report adds: Saudi Airlines is selling tickets for the fourth consecutive day to help expatriate Bangladeshis return to their workplaces in the kingdom.
People who have already gotten their tokens are collecting tickets since Sunday morning.
Tickets will be given to those holding tokens 1,401-1,900 on Sunday while those from 1,901-2,300 will get theirs on Monday.
Saudi Airlines started issuing tickets for Bangladeshi expatriates on Thursday morning, a day after migrant workers demonstrated in Dhaka for return tickets to the kingdom.
They came home with return tickets but could not go back due to a shortage of Biman flights amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Migrant workers demonstrated in front of the Expatriates' Welfare Ministry in Eskaton, demanding extension of visas and Iqamas and arrangement of return tickets to Saudi Arabia.
On Wednesday evening, the foreign minister said Bangladeshi expatriates will be able to return to their workplaces as both Biman and Saudi airlines got permission to operate flights.
AK Abdul Momen said the Saudi government agreed to extend visas for those Bangladeshis who want to return to the kingdom but their visas expired.
He also said the Iqama of Bangladeshi workers will remain valid for 24 more days and there will be further extension, if required.
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