Around 153 Bangladeshi workers returned home from Saudi Arabia Wednesday night, pushing the number of deported Bangladeshi workers to 360 in a week. Talking to media at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the deportees claimed that they were forcefully sent back despite having all kinds of legal documents.
Sources said over 16,000 Bangladeshi workers have been deported this year. A Saudi Airlines flight SV-804 carrying them landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:20pm yesterday, confirmed Shariful Hasan, programme head of Brac Migration Programme. The authorities concerned of Wage Earners Welfare Board with the help of the Brac Migration Programme provided necessary assistance, including food, to the Bangladeshi workers following their arrival, he said.
Many of the workers who returned home came back completely empty handed. Shahjahan Miah of Cumilla, who came back Wednesday, said he went to Saudi Arabia merely one and a half month back and could not bring back anything. Ruhul Amin of Kushtia who went to the kingdom in hopes of a better life 11 months back has a similar story.
