Official team to KSA yet to fix visit-schedule
Sunday, 10 February 2008
Syed Ishtiaque Reza
The high-powered government delegation constituted to make an on-the-spot assessment of the problems being faced by the Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is yet to fix its visit-schedule.
"We are yet to get the detailed programme from the Saudi authorities, but I can say that the visit will take place soon," said Abdul Matin Chowdhury, Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment who will lead the team.
Other members of the team include an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Managing Director of the Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Bank Yasin Ali. He said both sides are now working on the talking points.
The Saudi Arabian police recently launched a drive against illegal Bangladeshi workers there. But reports reaching Dhaka alleged that police were arresting people who had valid employment documents too.
"The situation is very grave here, we can't go out on the streets fearing police action," said Abdul Malek from Riyadh over telephone. Malek has been living there for the last seven years. Police have arrested thousands of Bangladeshis and put them in jails, Malek said adding "in some areas the power connections have been snapped to trace the Bangladeshis." Not only in Riyadh, Bangladeshis facing similar problems in other cities including Jeddah, Taif and Dammam.
Matin Chowdhury said the problem is grave and the government has taken it seriously. "Diplomatic efforts are going on through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia," he said.
During the visit, the delegation will talk to Saudi authorities and visit the prisons where the Bangladeshis have been kept.
There are approximately 1.5 million Bangladeshis working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Earlier some Saudi newspapers reported that the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers would be banned. But the Saudi government denied the reports.
The high-powered government delegation constituted to make an on-the-spot assessment of the problems being faced by the Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is yet to fix its visit-schedule.
"We are yet to get the detailed programme from the Saudi authorities, but I can say that the visit will take place soon," said Abdul Matin Chowdhury, Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment who will lead the team.
Other members of the team include an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Managing Director of the Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Bank Yasin Ali. He said both sides are now working on the talking points.
The Saudi Arabian police recently launched a drive against illegal Bangladeshi workers there. But reports reaching Dhaka alleged that police were arresting people who had valid employment documents too.
"The situation is very grave here, we can't go out on the streets fearing police action," said Abdul Malek from Riyadh over telephone. Malek has been living there for the last seven years. Police have arrested thousands of Bangladeshis and put them in jails, Malek said adding "in some areas the power connections have been snapped to trace the Bangladeshis." Not only in Riyadh, Bangladeshis facing similar problems in other cities including Jeddah, Taif and Dammam.
Matin Chowdhury said the problem is grave and the government has taken it seriously. "Diplomatic efforts are going on through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia," he said.
During the visit, the delegation will talk to Saudi authorities and visit the prisons where the Bangladeshis have been kept.
There are approximately 1.5 million Bangladeshis working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Earlier some Saudi newspapers reported that the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers would be banned. But the Saudi government denied the reports.