24,600 migrant workers departed Bangladesh since April 17: CAAB
A total of around 24,600 migrant workers have left the country for their respective workplaces in five countries, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and UAE, in the last five days since April 17 via special flights.
Air Vice-Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), told The Daily Star yesterday.
In an inter-ministerial meeting on April 16, the government decided to operate around 100 special flights to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, UAE, and Singapore in one week from April 17 so that several thousand migrant workers who remained stuck in the country due to a week-long ban on international flights, could return to their workplaces.
Twelve airlines were allowed to operate direct flights to these five countries. They are, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US Bangla Airlines, Saudia, Oman Air, Salam Air, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, Fly Dubai, and Singapore Airlines.
The government on April 11, suspended operations of all international passenger flights to and from Bangladesh for a week from April 14 to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Due to the extension of countrywide strict lockdown from April 21, CAAB also extended the operation of special flights till April 28.
Recently, CAAB also allowed airlines to operate direct flights to China, considering the need of Bangladeshi passengers.
According to the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) and Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (Atab), about 20,000 to 25,000 aspiring migrant workers were supposed to catch their due flights in a week starting from April 14.
Baira and Atab leaders have expressed satisfaction over the speedy return of Bangladeshi workers to their respective workplaces in the last five days.
Last year, the number of overseas employment dropped significantly to a little over 2.17 lakh from 7 lakh in the previous year, according to data from Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).
On the other hand, about 1.44 lakh migrant workers found employment in the first three months this year, Expatriates' Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad told a discussion on April 5.
Remittance sent by migrant workers is considered one of the main pillars of the country's economy.
In 2019-2020 fiscal year, migrant workers sent home USD 18.2 billion (about Tk 1,54,352 crore) in remittance whereas it stood at about USD 18.6 billion (Tk 1,57,774 crore) as of March in the ongoing fiscal year, according to data from Bangladesh Bank.
At present, over one crore Bangladeshi migrant workers live in more than 160 countries.