160 Bangladeshi workers sent back home from Saudi Arabia

About 160 Bangladeshi workers, sent back home from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night amid a crackdown on undocumented workers, said they had been forced to return despite having valid documents.

A flight of Saudi Airlines carrying the workers landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:20pm, said Shariful Hasan, programme head of Brac Migration Programme.

With them, Saudi Arabia has sent back 389 workers in the last three days, he said.

The authorities concerned of Wage Earners Welfare Board under the Brac Migration Programme have provided necessary assistance, including food, to the Bangladeshi workers.

Many of the workers said they had valid documents and accused the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia of doing nothing to stop the deportation.

Saudi authorities have arrested around 3.8 million foreigners as it continues its crackdown on labour and residency violators, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The country has been detaining people for violating residential, labour and border security regulations since November 2017.

A total of 3,790,173 people have been arrested, including over 2.95 million for residency violations, 583,602 for breaking labour laws and 247,220 for flouting border regulations, the report said.

The latest figures indicate that 5,44,521 people have been arrested since early June. The report said 9,40,100 expatriates have been deported since November 20