Saudi Arabia again deported 215 more Bangladeshi workers

Some 215 more workers were deported from Saudi Arabia last night, despite having valid work papers.

Two separate flights of Saudi Airlines carrying the workers landed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:20 pm and 1:15 am respectively, according to the expatriate welfare desk at the airport.

With this, around 21,000 Bangladeshi workers were deported from Saudi Arabia this year while around 1,561 workers returned in the first two weeks of November, it said.

Among the deported workers, one Sohrab Hossian of Kishoreganj said, “I went to Saudi Arabia with a dream two years ago expending Tk five lakh but my dream has turned into a nightmare as I was deported forcibly.”

One Harun said he went to Saudi Arabia expending Tk six lakh and he used to work at a construction farm but he has been caught while he was returning his residence from the workplace and forcibly rent him back to Bangladesh.

Shahbul Islam, hailing from Tangail, said he went to Saudi Arabia through Messrs Javed Overseas paying Tk 3.30 lakh four months ago with a driving visa but returned home with empty hand.

“I was not given any salary during his stay in Saudi Arabia and came back home penniless,” he said.

Many deported workers complained that they had paid the Kafeel (warrantors) to renew their legal permission (akama) but they are denied the papers, Shariful Hasan, chief of the Brac migration programme, said.