KSA’s Sudden Flight Ban: 100 Bangladeshis sent back from Abu Dhabi Airport
Around 100 Bangladeshi workers heading to Saudi Arabia were forced to return from Abu Dhabi Monday night following the sudden decision of the Saudi government to suspend all international flights, including to and from Dhaka.
According to the workers, they were flying to Saudi Arabia via Abu Dhabi from Dhaka on Sunday, Shariful Hasan, head of Brac migration programme, said yesterday.
Their flight was cancelled and the workers were sent back to Dhaka from Abu Dhabi.
Returning to Dhaka, many workers were seen crying helplessly.
Among the expatriate workers, Sabina Akhter and Taslima Akhter, hailing from Cumilla, said they spent Tk 2.5 lakh each to go to Saudi Arabia.
They said they had not informed their families about their return and now they could not return to their homes.
Later, Brac arranged food and accommodation for them at its safe home.
Contacted, Fakhrul Islam, assistant director of Probashi Kalyan Desk at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, told The Daily Star that they have information that around 79 Bangladeshi workers were sent back to Dhaka Monday night.
"We don't have complete information about the migrant workers who were sent back from different airports on their way to Saudi Arabia as the airlines concerned didn't report to us. We are trying to collect information," added Fakhrul.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia suspended all international flights for a week amid reports of the appearance of a new mutated strain of the novel coronavirus in the UK.
The suspension casts uncertainty on the return of Bangladeshi expatriate workers to their workplaces in the Gulf country.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines also suspended its all flights to and from Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam for a week from Monday due to the suspension imposed by the Saudi authorities.
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