“For the last seven months, I have no income and bearing family expenses by taking loan from others. If I fail to go to Saudi Arabia, I don't know how will I repay the loan and my future seems bleak as my visa is going to expire soon,” this is how Idris Ali, a middle-aged man from Babu Bazar of the capital, let out his sorrows to The Business Post on Saturday at the Sonargaon Hotel where Saudi Arabian airlines is issuing tickets to the Bangladeshi expatriates.
He was working in Saudi Arabia over the last 19 years in a chain restaurant.Like Idris Ali, approximately 28 thousandexpatriateswho came to Bangladesh on vacation before start of the pandemic got stuck in the country as Saudi Arabia closed its air space for many countries including Bangladesh.
Many of the Bangladeshi expatriateshave return tickets but missed their flights as airlines, due to coronavirus pandemic, were suspended between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia which added new pain as they have to pay again for ticket which is unbearable for those already in debt.
Bangladeshi expatriateshave been demonstrating at Karwan Bazar infront of Saudi Arabian airlines office for tickets over the last seven days.
Some 302 expats, who received the coronavirus test certificate just three hours before their departure, left the country for Saudi Arabia on last Friday.
Earlier, 252 economic migrants left the country by Saudi Arabian airlines.
Saudi Arabia extended time to enter Saudi Arab till October 24 on the request of Bangladesh government and if the expats fail to reach within this deadline, they may lose their job.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahariar Alam on Saturday said, "Everybody will be able to go to Saudi Arabia before date of their landing expires and sufficient flights will be ensured. Ticket crisis seems apparent as many people are trying to collect tickets at a time which causing chaos."
"There will be no crisis of tickets and I want to assure that nobody will be left behind. There is no need to rush," he added.
Alauddin Ali, who hailed from Mymensigh, said, I came to Bangladesh 15 days before the start of coronavirus pandemic and till then I got stuck here.
"I have been trying for ticket for the last seven days, although I have a return ticket. Those who came to the country early should get priority in getting tokensbut the tokens are being given in wholesale manner which may jeopardize our jobsin Saudi Arabia only for missing the deadline.”
"God forbid, if I fail to reach Saudi Arabia I have to undergo tremendous hardships as I am already borrowed Tk 4 lakh over the eight months till the date of returning to this country. If I fail to go, my job will be at stake and I don't know how I will repay the loan," Ali lamented.
Md Musa, who came from Narayanganj, said, “I came to Bangladesh ten months earlier and supposed to return to my workplace in March. I don't know when I will get the ticket as they are not maintaining serial in order of arrival.”
Those who came earlier should depart earlier, he added.
With anxiety in look,Musa said, "Expatriates are a bit different as five to seven members of a family relies on him or her. We came to Bangladesh for four months break with happy mood but our happiness evaporatedinside four months as savings startedsagged and finally we have to borrow money from others for meeting the expenditure upon our return to our workplace."
Now,just imagine theharrowing situation we are now going through as most of the expatriates arestuck in Bangladesh for the last seven to ten months and the financial condition became dire duringthe pandemic, said Musa.
sh/wi
