Noman Mosharef :
Average 2,000 applications were submitted per day by the Saudi Arabia-bound Bangladeshi expatriate workers for quarantine subsidy.
The expatriates’ welfare desk at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport source said the receiving of the application for quarantine subsidy had started from June 7. On the first two days the number of applications was few, while in the last several days average 2,000 applications were submitted.
Source said till now 7,000 applications have been reserved out of 9,900. Rest were cancelled due to incomplete information.
After announced by Saudi Arabia that the travellers from foreign countries will have to follow mandatory 14-day quarantine when they arrive in Saudi Arabia, starting from May 20, the government has decided to remit Tk 25,000 as “subsidy” as the hotel quarantine fee for Saudi Arabia-bound migrant workers to their bank accounts.
The money will be deposited in the bank accounts of the workers or their selected representatives. The subsidised money will be given to the workers who have already undergone hotel quarantine in Saudi Arabia on their own expenses since May 20 and those who will travel to the Kingdom by June 30.
Source said the expatriates’ welfare desk got 14 types of misinformation in applications such as- name of the bank account of the nominee of the applicant, bank account number incorrect or not, name of the nominee vague, mobile number incorrect or number closed, same person’s multiple application, same bank account number in multiple application forms, no signature in any application form and relationship with the nominee not mentioned among others.
Besides, the female expats’ error are- the account number of the recruiting agency has been used instead of their own account number. In some cases, the person who has filled the form has given his bank account number instead of the employee. Agent banking number has been given in place of bank account. Many applications do not have smart card information, passport does not have clearance page.
The Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Imran Ahmad said, we will provide assistants to expats’ bank to bank system. If anyone uses recruiting agency’s number we will cross check it for validity as whose it is.
The minister said we will give cash to our workers, and not to recruiting agencies. Everybody knows how to apply. But those who will not follow proper procedure we are not able to help them.
It has been decided to provide a subsidy to the expatriate brothers and sisters as per the instructions of the Prime Minister. Various activities have been undertaken for the welfare of the expatriates. Not everything has reached everyone yet. But work on many projects is ongoing, he added.
