Home ›› 10 Dec 2021 ›› Front
Recruiting agencies held a human chain on Thursday protesting against a two to threefold airfare hike imposed on the Middle East-bound passengers by international airlines operators.
Several agencies under the banner of “General Recruiting Agency Owners Association” organised the demonstration in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, claiming that even the country’s flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines too have increased such fares.
They claimed that the airline operators have hiked the price of one-way tickets for the Middle East to Tk 70,000 – Tk 95,000, which was only Tk 40,000 just two months ago. But in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, airfare for such flights are fixed at Tk 20,000 – Tk 30,000.
At the demonstration, protesters said the hike in airfare is causing difficulties for the remittance senders. They urged the government to form a high-level regulatory board to monitor ticket syndicates, and declare Bangladesh an “open sky country” to welcome new airlines.
Recruiting agency owners also expressed concerns over the issue that thousands of middle-east bound Bangladeshis’ visa validity and vacation periods are expiring.
Airlines are currently providing a daily average of 3,000 tickets for Middle Eastern destinations, but the demand among migrants is around 5,000 per day, they said, adding that if the frequency of such flights’ are not increased, thousands of migrants might lose their jobs.
The Recruiting Agency Owners Association recommended increasing the frequency of flights in the manpower export destinations, especially in Saudi Arabian routes, and urged the government to ensure logical airfares for labourers.
The association’s President Tipu Sultan, Organising Secretary Saiful Islam, and Sommilito Somonnoy Front Secretary Mostafa Mahmud attended the demonstration.
Previously, the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) and the Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh had urged the government to implement the same demands.
They added that the Saudi Arabian government had made Covid-19 booster doses mandatory for migrants to enter the country, which would come into effect in February.
But a large segment of migrants has yet to be double vaccinated. In addition, the sudden hike in ticket prices just added to their woes.
