Govt assures migrant workers of settling their issues

The government has assured the migrant workers that the issues they are currently facing in returning to their workplace in Malaysia will be resolved soon.

Foreign Secretary, Masud Bin Momen, provided this assurance in the aftermath of a sit-in organized by the migrant workers in front of the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka on Monday.

The migrant workers started the sit-in in the morning and called it off at noon following the commitment from the Foreign Secretary.

"We'll sit with the Malaysian authorities soon and try to settle the issues quickly," Masud Bin Momen told the protesters.

He also mentioned that visas that have already expired will be renewed in consultation with the relevant Malaysian authorities.

At the same time, arrangements will be made for chartered flights, enabling migrant workers who had purchased air tickets that have since expired, to return to Malaysia without having to buy new tickets.

In the morning, hundreds of migrant workers took to the streets in front of the Ministry and began their sit-in event.

A protester, Masud Ahmed, disclosed his plight in conversation with The Business Standard. He returned home in February and got stranded during the shutdown for covid-19.

Since all of his savings have dwindled, he is now dependent on loans to run his family.

Masud urged the authorities to resolve the crisis as soon as possible. Others echoed the plea.

According to the protesters, around 25,000 migrant workers got stranded in the country after returning home from Malaysia during the coronavirus pandemic.

They organized the sit-in on Monday to press home their demands, which include renewal of expired visas in consultation with the Malaysian government, arrangement of chartered flights for return to Malaysia, guarantee of Tk5 lakh financial assistance to an expatriate's family in the event of his death during his stay in Bangladesh.