Reza Mahmud :
Several thousand Bangladeshi workers have become jobless in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as the authorities there decided to reduce the number of foreign workers there by the year 2020.
Sources said, most of these jobless Bangladeshi workers went to the Kingdom with “free visa” which means no job guarantee. They said, these workers went to Saudi Arabia with only job assurance from the recruiting agencies, their agents or relatives living there. These ill-fated migrants are now facing a very hard time in absence of any job opportunity.
In the past, many Bangladeshi free visa holders managed suitable jobs with good wages. But the scenario has changed now-a-days.
Meanwhile, hundreds of illegal Bangladesh workers are now leaving Saudi Arabia as the country on September 16 announced another amnesty for illegal foreign workers in Saudi Arabia. The date will expire on October 15.
According to the sources, currently more than 20 lakh Bangladeshi expatriates are working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“A huge number of expatriate Bangladeshi workers are now living in an unemployed condition in different areas in the Kingdom. They are now facing hard days,” said Abu Hasan, an expatriate Bangladeshi working in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.
Hasan said, “It is the result of the Saudi government’s decision to reduce the number of foreign workers.”
Another expatriate Amir Charu Bablu who works in Saudi capital Riyadh, said, “Thousands of Bangladeshi workers who had been working for long are now unemployed. The permanent job holders have become day labourers.”
Bablu said that those who have capacity to speak in Arabic and skilled in different works could manage jobs on daily basis here in the country. But those who do not know Arabic and are unskilled are sitting idle.
“Most of the Bangladeshis are in troubles. Some of the workers are trying to leave for Bangladesh but still most of them are trying their best to stay in Saudi Arabia as they had spent huge amount of money to come here,” said Amir Charu Bablu.
About shrinking of job market in the KSA, Bablu said, “It is because of Saudization.”
“Most of the Saudi companies’ condition are now vulnerable. “As a result, they are trying to cut manpower to reduce loss,” he said, adding if the country hires only Saudis for shops and groceries then around 300,000 Bangladeshi workers might become jobless.
According to expatriates, they have given at least Tk 600,000 to the local agents or recruiting agencies to come to Saudi Arabia.
“Even a free visa holder also had to pay some amount of money to the agents. But in that case, the agents or agencies have no liability of assuring him a job,” said Liton Hossain, an expatriate in Jeddah.
Sources said, Saudi Arabia has decided to start “National Transformation Programme” in last May. According to the progaramme, every public job will be transferred to Saudi nationals by 2020.
Under the policy, no job in grocery or other shops would remain open to foreign workers. The authorities of the country want to create more employment facilities for the Saudi people.
The sources said, all foreign workers must leave the country within 2020.
Despite attempts on several times over phone, Dr. Nomita Halder, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment, could not be connected for comments in this regard.
