Govt to support returnee migrant workers

The government will provide support to returnee expatriate workers in order to enable them to pursue viable economic activities, especially in the agriculture sector.

Every returnee will get Tk5,000 on arrival at the airport as conveyance and the families of migrant workers who have died from coronavirus will be provided with Tk3 lakh.

The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment will also arrange loans up to Tk5 lakh to Tk7 lakh upon return of expatriate workers.

The ministry made the announcement yesterday at an inter-ministerial meeting on the repatriation of stranded Bangladeshi citizens abroad.

The meeting held at the foreign ministry discussed a wide range of issues relating to repatriation, nationality verification, quarantine, relief for the expatriates, coordination among departments, sending medicines and medical equipment to friendly countries and post repatriation preparedness, says a press release.

The meeting was in continuation of two previous meetings to address the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic, particularly repatriation of stranded Bangladeshi citizens abroad. 

The meeting was briefed that, as a goodwill gesture, a medical team equipped with medical gadgets and medicines from the Armed Forces Division (AFD) had been sent to help Kuwait in this critical moment. 

As a friendly gesture, Bangladesh is also sending foodstuffs, medicines, medical equipment, and other items to the government of Maldives. 

A consignment of medicines and medical items will be sent to Bhutan shortly. Bangladesh is also planning to send similar items to other countries in need.

The AFD in coordination with the health ministry has been working to prepare quarantine centres at different places in Dhaka and other districts with a capacity of around 4,000 people for institutional quarantine. 

It has been in close connection with the health ministry and the civil aviation authority for post-arrival formalities, including quarantining returnees. 

The foreign ministry will coordinate with the civil aviation authority for smooth airport reception and ease in landing permission of special flights carrying Bangladesh nationals from different countries.

The United Arab Emirates has expressed its keen interest to import food items from Bangladesh, and work is underway to coordinate with all concerned to materialize this.

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad told The Business Standard that a few countries had requested Bangladesh to repatriate its undocumented citizens. 

Besides, due to work shortage, several countries want to send back some regular employees too. "In that case, we have to provide support to our expatriate returnees,'' the minister added.

He said, "We sent food aid for our workers through our missions. For the protection of our employees, we are coordinating through diplomatic channels."

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen chaired the meeting attended by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, principal staff officer of the AFD, civil aviation authority chairman, secretaries, and senior officials from different ministries, divisions, and agencies.