Seven Million Bangladeshis in the Middle East in Extreme Fear; Relatives Worried
By Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty
DHAKA: Tension has spread in the Middle East countries due to the US and Israel’s military operations in Iran. About 7 million expatriate Bangladeshis engaged in various activities in these countries are now spending their days in extreme uncertainty and fear. Two Bangladeshis have already died and 7 more Bangladeshis have been injured in missile strikes in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. In this situation, Bangladesh has expressed deep concern about the safety of expatriates.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said that the government is trying its best to ensure the safety and employment of expatriate Bangladeshis in the Middle East. He was speaking at an inter-ministerial meeting on the situation in the Middle East on March 2.
The Foreign Minister said that two Bangladeshis have been killed and five injured in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. “Our ambassadors have rushed there. Talks have also been held with the ministers of Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. They have assured us of providing full security to our citizens.”
(Photo: Facebook)
The Foreign Minister also assured that the bodies of the deceased Bangladeshis will be brought back to the country once air traffic returns to normal.
A Foreign Ministry statement said that a Bangladeshi national named Saleh Ahmed from Baralekha area of Moulvibazar district lost his life in an airstrike in Ajman, United Arab Emirates. And a Bangladeshi national from Sandwip upazila of Chittagong was killed in Bahrain. Bangladesh embassies in the UAE and Bahrain are in close contact with local authorities on the matter.
The Bangladesh government reiterates its deep concern over the growing situation in the Middle East and is closely monitoring the developments. Bangladesh embassies in the concerned countries have been asked to issue advisories to Bangladeshi nationals living abroad to be vigilant and strictly follow the guidelines of the concerned governments.
In the ongoing situation in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman received telephone calls from the Foreign Ministers of Kuwait and Bahrain and the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar. The security of Bangladeshi expatriates was discussed over the telephone. The Foreign Minister told the media that the security and safety of Bangladeshi expatriates were discussed with them. They assured the security of our expatriates.
Prime Minister’s special directives
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has learned about the security and overall situation of Bangladeshis living abroad amid the war situation in the Middle East. He gave directives in this regard in a meeting with senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related departments at the Secretariat on March 1.
The Prime Minister’s Press Wing said that the meeting discussed in detail what steps need to be taken to ensure the security of Bangladeshis living in the Middle East. Meanwhile, ordinary passengers have been suffering as many international flights have been canceled due to tensions in the Middle East. The Prime Minister is continuously supervising the overall care of passengers stranded at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
As per the Prime Minister’s directives, the aviation minister and the state minister are working directly to supervise the facilities and services of passengers at the airport. The Expatriates Welfare Minister is also actively involved in this process.
148 flights cancelled in four days
Due to the ongoing war situation in the Middle East, Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport authorities cancelled 39 more flights on Tuesday March 3. With this, a total of 148 flights to the Middle East have been cancelled from Dhaka from February 28 to March 3.
Airport sources said that Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan announced temporary closure of their airspace from February 28. This directly affected the flight operations of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
