Staff Reporter :
Several hundred migrant workers bound to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia demonstrated for the second consecutive day on Friday protesting at the disruption of flights to the country.
They demonstrated at the SAARC Fountain Intersection and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital city of Dhaka.
They alleged that the authorities of Bangladesh Biman had suddenly suspended flights and Saudia Airlines was disrupting flight operations, adding that they are deprived of cooperation to return to KSA.
Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh executive vice president Azharul Kabir Chowdhury said that over 4,000 migrants have confirmed their tickets to KSA within few days but suddenly the country has changed their decisions.
The agitating migrants said that they were compelled to pay an additional Tk 70,000 for Covid quarantine in KSA hotels whereas the Bangladesh embassy in the country was not cooperating with them.
They said that without prior notice, the KSA has imposed new restrictions to accept international passengers to contain Covid-19 infections.
The migrants who came home to enjoy their holidays complained that their visa will expire soon.
United News of Bangladesh reported that national carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Thursday announced the suspension of its flights to Saudi Arabia for five days.
All flights to Saudi Arabia will remain suspended till May 24, Biman Bangladesh Airlines said in a release.
The national carrier has taken the decision in the wake of the Saudi authorities imposing new conditions on international travellers, including mandatory Covid quarantine at hotels, it said.
All KSA-bound passengers have been asked to contact the nearest office of Biman Bangladesh to know about their new flight schedule.
