Govt to send Tk 25,000 to Saudi-bound workers’ bank accounts for hotel quarantine

The government has decided to send Tk 25,000 as "subsidy" for the hotel quarantine fee for Saudi Arabia-bound migrant workers to their bank accounts.

The money will be sent to the bank accounts of the workers or their selected representatives, Expatriates' Welfare Ministry said in a press release today.

The subsidised money will be given to the workers who have already undergone hotel quarantine in Saudi Arabia on their own expenses since May 20 and those who will travel to the Kingdom by June 30, the release said.

The decision was taken after Saudi Arabia issued a travel advisory, effective from May 20, citing mandatory institutional quarantine in the Kingdom and some other clauses for passengers traveling there from non-restricted countries including Bangladesh.

To be eligible, both workers who are scheduled to undergo quarantine in the Kingdom in the coming days and those who already underwent quarantine there have to submit application along with necessary documents to the concerned government authorities of Bangladesh, it said.

The application form can be downloaded from the expatriates' welfare ministry's website (www.probashi.gov.bd), website of Wage Earners' Welfare Board (www.wewb.gov.bd), and website of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (www.bmet.gov.bd).

Besides, forms are available at the Probashi Kalyan Desks set up at three international airports in the country.

Workers have to submit the application along with photocopies of emigration clearance card known as smartcard, first four pages of passport, visa, plane ticket, and hotel booking receipt.

Workers travelling in the coming days have to submit the application on the day of their flight and prior to departure at the Probashi Kalyan Desk starting from June 7.

Workers who have already undergone hotel quarantine in Saudi Arabia have to submit application along with the necessary papers through postal service to the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh and Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah within June 30.