Saudi Arabia to extend visa, stay permit as Bangladeshi workers seek help for return

Saudi Arabia has agreed to extend visa and iqama, or residency permit, for the migrant workers whose documents have expired, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said.

He made the revelation at a press briefing on Wednesday night as protesting migrant workers continued demonstrations in Dhaka seeking government help to return to the Gulf kingdom.

Momen said the workers can get their visas and iqamas extended when the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Bangladesh opens on Sunday.

The iqamas that are to expire in the Islamic month of Safar (Sep 18-Oct 17) will also be considered valid, he said.

The Saudi authorities have also given the go-ahead to Biman Bangladesh Airlines to resume normal flight operations to the Middle-Eastern country, the foreign minister said.

As the Saudi authorities had denied Biman the permission to operate commercial flights to the kingdom, Bangladeshi passengers turned up the heat on the Middle-Eastern country’s national carrier Saudia.

Biman to run special flights to Saudi Arabia as migrant workers protest for tickets

Migrant workers protest outside expatriates' welfare ministry over return to Saudi  

A group of disgruntled Bangladeshi migrants who work in Saudi Arabia rallied outside the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment in Dhaka's Eskaton on Wednesday.

They demanded the government help them to extend their visas and book air tickets.

The protests outside the ministry followed a second day of demonstrations outside the office of Saudia at the capital’s Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Kawran Bazar after the airliner indefinitely suspended ticket sales on Wednesday.

The demonstrations brought traffic on the key thoroughfare to a halt for a while.

The protesters also took out a procession from Motijheel, marching past the National Press Club before stationing themselves outside the ministry.

They left the street later after Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad and officials sat with their representatives.

Momen also urged patience among the expatriates at the time, saying their protests may backfire if the Saudi authorities took umbrage at the demonstrations. 

Biman later said it will operate special flights on Sep 26 and 27 to Jeddah and Riyadh for those who had booked return tickets for Mar 16 and 17.

As the Saudi authorities have now given Biman the permission to operate commercial flights, it now depends on the flag carrier whether to run the special flights, Momen said.

Tahera Khandokar, a spokesperson for Biman, said they planned to run some special flights to Jeddah and Riyadh until Sep 30 and resume commercial flights on Oct 1.