Several thousand outbound workers face uncertainty over securing their jobs abroad and getting new air tickets following the suspension of international flights which came into force from today.
International flights will remain suspended during a weeklong 'hard' lockdown the government announced aiming to check the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
Manpower recruiters said about 30,000 workers scheduled to fly for their job destination countries in a week will fail to go abroad on time.
For this reason, many of them have to count more migration cost because of extra airfare. Visa and Iqama (work permit) of a good number of workers will also expire.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh on Sunday last announced the suspension of all international flights for a week beginning from April 14.
Talking to the FE, Monsur Ahmed Kalam, president of Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB), said about 3,000 to 4,000 workers go abroad with jobs a day.
Although tickets are refundable, the prices of tickets can increase when flight operation will resume. Besides, workers have to pay service charge to travel agencies and refund charge to airlines.
When flight operation will resume, the crisis of tickets will usually increase. So, the workers will have to pay extra fare and they will also face hassles.
Workers faced difficulties in managing tickets when flights of Saudi Arabia reopened last year. Every worker paid Tk 40,000 to Tk 50,000 as extra charge, he recalled.
Shakil Ahmed (25), a worker, is scheduled to fly to Saudi Arabia on April 19. He spent Tk 475,000 on going to the job destination country.
But now he faced uncertainty as his flight would be cancelled because of suspension, he said.
He borrowed the money from a village moneylender. So, he will have to pay interest. Besides, airfare can be increased next time.
"I am now in big trouble that I cannot express in words," he added.
However, manpower recruiting agencies under the banner of general members of BAIRA and ATAB on Tuesday requested the authorities concerned to keep the flights of outgoing Bangladeshi migrant workers outside the purview of suspension for the sake of their interests.
The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment assured the recruiters that they would discuss the issues with the ministries and departments concerned.
On the other hand, Recruiting Agency Welfare Association of Bangladesh (RAWAB), a part of licensed manpower recruiters, formally made their plea on Monday.
In a letter, RAWAB requested the government not to suspend flights of migrant workers until the job destination countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and Qatar impose travel ban on Bangladeshi workers.
It mentioned that the outbound workers booked 'quarantine hotels' with a notable amount of money in Qatar and Oman. The booking money is nonrefundable.
Workers bought air tickets for Tk 80,000 to 90,000. Some of the airlines' tickets are not refundable.
Visas of workers will expire while many of them expired. The demand note of workers might be cancelled by the employers, if the workers fail to join their works on time.
Under the circumstances, the outbound workers should be given chance to go to their employing countries to protect the interests of this sector. If necessary, workers can follow the highest level of health instructions and use private cars when they will go for coronavirus tests and airport, it added.
Talking to the FE, Ali Haider Chowdhury, manpower recruiter and also former secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), said this suspension will leave the workers and manpower recruiters in a difficult situation.
He said migrant workers have to count extra migration cost, if they fail to go abroad on scheduled flights.
The government should take the issue into consideration. The apparel sector can continue its operations during the lockdown. "So, why manpower recruiters will not get opportunities to send workers abroad? After all, this sector brings one of the highest amounts of foreign currency to home," Mr Chowdhury said.
Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, immediate past secretary general of BAIRA, said the authorities can arrange special flights to send the workers to their job places, if needed.
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