288 Bangladeshis repatriated from prisons of Oman

Oman has sent back some 288 Bangladeshi workers who were imprisoned or in deportation camps, on various grounds, including not having valid documents.

"Carrying the Bangladeshi citizens, a special flight of Oman Air landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday night," Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan, director of the airport, told journalists.

Last month, Oman sent back 180 Bangladesh nationals amid the outbreak of Covid-19. According to media reports, the Oman government has taken steps to repatriate foreign prisoners following the outbreak, under a special amnesty of the Sultan of the country.

The returnee workers received Tk 5,000 on arrival at the airport, in accordance with government decision taken early this month.

Besides, the expatriate welfare ministry decided to provide loans -- from Tk 5 lakh to Tk 7 lakh -- upon return of the jobless expatriate workers amid the pandemic to help them pursue economic activities especially in the agriculture sector.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen earlier told the media that a few Middle Eastern countries urged Dhaka to take back "our undocumented workers including inmates".

The foreign minister said his office would try everything possible to prevent any major setback involving "our migrant workers".

Bangladesh, he said, was ready to receive its nationals in principle but Dhaka informed the Middle Eastern countries concerned that "we would take them back in phases for quarantine preparedness" and "facilities are being developed for their accommodation".

On Wednesday, the foreign minister at a video conference with his counterparts of OIC executive committee member states, urged the OIC countries to give utmost importance to the issue of job retention of domestic and resident migrant workers.

Momen also urged humanitarian organisations to advocate for migrant workers job retention in the OIC countries.