Bangladeshi Migrants: Prince Salman grateful for their contributions to Saudi economy

The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman expressed gratitude to the Bangladeshi migrants for their contributions to his country's economy during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi yesterday.

"He mentioned with gratitude that nearly 2.8 million Bangladeshis are making significant contributions to the Saudi economy with their hard work and due diligence," according to a foreign ministry statement yesterday.

In 1976, Bangladesh formally allowed Bangladeshis to go to Saudi Arabia, which has now become the largest labour market for Bangladesh as well as a major source of remittances.

However, there were numerous reports of the migrants being subjected to abuses not only in Saudi Arabia but also in other countries of the Middle East and Southeast Asia, especially with the involvement of agents and sub-agents who charge high recruitment fees.

There was no mention of whether PM Hasina raised any such issue with the crown prince.

The foreign ministry statement mentioned that PM Hasina had a very fruitful meeting with Prince Salman and that he praised Hasina for her inspirational leadership in achieving remarkable socioeconomic development in Bangladesh over the recent years.

Bin Salman said that Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia would work together to enhance cooperation in all possible areas, and he assured his full support in this regard.

Prince Salman also expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing investment made by Saudi investors in various projects in Bangladesh, including the Patenga Terminal, Payra Port, and ACWA Renewable Energy Project.

He also thanked PM Hasina for supporting Saudi Arabia as the host of the Riyadh Expo 2023.

Hasina, in turn, congratulated the crown prince for embarking on and achieving a number of social reforms in Saudi Arabia and for attaining numerous diplomatic successes in recent times.

She also invited the crown prince to visit Bangladesh, which Bin Salman accepted and expressed his willingness to visit.