Protests by expatriates demanding plane tickets, siege of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Dhaka: Bangladeshi expatriates are protesting in the capital by besieging the Foreign Ministry demanding plane tickets to Saudi Arabia.

Furthermore, expatriates blocked the Motijheel office of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

Hundreds of expats have been protesting since Tuesday morning (September 22). At first they were Saudis in the caravan market Airlines and Biman protested in front of the Bangladesh Airlines office. Subsequently, they blocked the Biman Bangladesh Airlines office in Motijheel and surrounded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At that time they chanted slogans demanding tickets.

Saudi Arabian authorities have ordered foreign workers stranded in the country to return before September 30. Since then, many expats stranded in the country have been scrambling to get tickets.

Saudi Arabia also recently announced the launch of international flights. But Saudi Arabia did not allow the launch of the flight when it first took the initiative. Later, Bangladesh also revoked Saudi Airlines’ permission to operate flights. After much drama, on Monday (September 21), the Saudi authorities allowed Biman to resume flights. But it has not yet allowed the landing. As a result, Biman is also unable to announce the schedule in Saudi Arabia. Since then, the banknote crisis has been created.

Meanwhile, traffic jams on the roads surrounding the protest site have caused serious traffic jams. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, taking hundreds of protesters away by truck.

The Moin Uddin protesters said: ‘My visa will expire on September 30. Meanwhile, I have to go back. If they do not return within the stipulated time, thousands of expatriates will be unemployed in the country. Therefore, the government must take the initiative to solve the problem of tickets. ‘

Bangladesh time: 1356 hours, September 22, 2020
TM / FM