Saudi expats continue to suffer for tickets 

Saudi bound migrant workers' suffering to get tickets continues amid lockdown as they gathered before the Saudi Airlines office at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel on Tuesday. 

They were trying to get tickets desperately while ignoring social distancing. The expatriates complained about the uncertainty and slow service of the airlines.   

Ferdous Hossain, a migrant who came from Gafurgaon in Mymensingh to Dhaka for tickets, said, "I was supposed to go to Saudi Arabia on the 19th, but I don't know what to do now that the Saudi Airline flight has been cancelled." 

He told The Business Standard about his hardship as he had to travel amid the lockdown restrictions to Dhaka. "I paid Tk5,000 in expenses in just two days," he added. 

Another expatriate, Shahanur Rahman had reached Dhaka on a vegetable-laden truck paying Tk7,000 from Gaibandha. However, his flight on Monday night got cancelled as well and within six days his visa will expire. 

Miraz Hasan from Noakhali rented a private car with Tk7,000 to reach Dhaka. 

"Saudi Airlines has said it will offer tickets for the new flight, but not sure when. In this situation, I am also thinking about where to stay in Dhaka. It cost me around Tk13,000 so far," he told The Business Standard. 

The suspension of international flights to and from Bangladesh has been extended for another week, following the government's decision to extend the strict "lockdown" amid a spike in Covid-19 infections. 

However, special flights to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, UAE, and Singapore will continue so that several thousand expatriate workers who have remained stuck in the country since 14 April can return to their workplaces in those five countries.