KSA sends 183 back

Saudi Arabia sent back 183 Bangladeshi migrant workers, including 20 female workers, on Wednesday night and in the early hours yesterday, according to Brac Migration Programme.

A Saudi Airlines flight carrying 89 workers landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka around 11:20pm Wednesday, Brac said.

Another flight of the same airlines brought back 94 Bangladeshi workers around 1:10 am yesterday, it added.

Brac Migration Programme, with the help of Prabashi Kalyan Desk set up by the expatriates' welfare ministry at the airport, provided the returning workers with immediate support.

Shariful Hasan, head of Brac Migration Programme, said some 3,635 migrant workers, 175 of whom are female, were sent back by Saudi Arabia in January alone.

Many of the workers returned home "empty-handed", said Shariful.

He urged recruiting agencies to be more mindful while sending workers abroad so that they do not have to return home in this manner.

He called upon the government and Bangladesh mission authorities in the Kingdom to identify the reasons behind the deportation.

Eight dead bodies sent back home

The dead bodies of eight migrant workers-- five from Saudi Arabia and three from Malaysia--were sent back home in separate cargo flights yesterday, said Shariful.

Two of the dead bodies from Saudi Arabia were of female workers, he said.

According to Brac, as many as 409 dead bodies of migrant workers were sent back home from different countries this year.