The authorities of Saudi Arabia are likely to extend the July 3 deadline for amnesty and regularisation process for Bangladeshi workers in that country, feel officials at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh. “I can tell you, the deadline of the amnesty declared on May 10 will be extended,” an official of the embassy told The Independent on Saturday. “It appears the deadline is going to be extended,” said another official.
“It should be extended. Many Saudi officials also believe that more time is needed for full implementation of the process,” he added.
Quoting Mazen Batterjee, deputy chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Saudi Gazette reported on Saturday: “There is a possibility that the July 3 amnesty deadline for undocumented and illegal workers to correct their status will be extended.” The labour counsellor at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, Dr Emdadul Haque, told The Independent that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had written to the Saudi King, urging him to extend the amnesty deadline by three months.
Foreign minister Dr Dipu Moni, who is visiting the Saudi kingdom from June 18-22, handed over the letter to the Saudi state minister for foreign affairs, Dr Nizar bin Obaid Madani, in Jeddah on Thursday, to be forwarded to the King.
During the meeting, the Bangladeshi foreign minister also pleaded for extension and in response, the Saudi minister assured her of conveying the request for extension of the time period for iqama transfer of Bangladeshi workers in the Saudi kingdom to the highest authorities of the country.
About the extension, Dr Haque said that not only Bangladesh, but many other countries, including India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, had also requested the Saudi authorities for more time.
He said Bangladeshi missions in Jeddah and Riyadh, with assistance from some officials sent from Dhaka and volunteers, had so far provided consular services to about two lakh Bangladeshi workers regarding new passports and other consular matters for transfer of their iqamas for regularisation of the employment status. “I think there are about 50,000 more Bangladeshis who will need our services,” he added.
Dr Haque also said that officially 12 lakh Bangladeshis live in Saudi Arabia, the largest remittance-sending country for Bangladesh. Some officials, however, dispute this figure, saying the actual number is much higher.
When contacted, Shahidul Islam, the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia, told The Independent on Saturday that the Saudi authorities had assured them that the appeal for extending the timeframe of the ongoing amnesty would be considered.
“As the amnesty was declared under a decree of the King, the extension, if any, would also be declared through a royal decree,” he said.
Replying to a question, the Ambassador said the government was doing its best to ensure the welfare of the Bangladeshi expatriates living in Saudi Arabia.
“As part of the government efforts, the foreign minister is now visiting Saudi Arabia and meeting people concerned. She has already requested for time extension. Let’s see what happens,” he said.
According to a foreign ministry press release on Saturday, Saudi second Deputy Prime Minister Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz said he would convey the request for extension of time for iqama transfer of Bangladeshi workers to the King “for his kind consideration”.
He said this at a meeting in Riyadh where Dipu Moni made a request for extension of the period of amnesty.
On Friday evening, Dipu Moni exchanged views with Bangladeshi nationals regarding the ongoing regularisation process of foreign workers in the kingdom at a programme organised by the embassy.
She also conveyed the appreciation of the Prime Minister to all concerned in this massive task of rectification of documents of expatriate Bangladeshi workers in the Saudi kingdom. The Bangladesh Embassy, through its initiatives, collected about 90,000 Bangladeshi passports lying with the Saudi immigration department and arranged distribution of those to their holders as the passports were required to regularise stay or exit from Saudi Arabia.
Bangladeshi nationals appreciated the role of the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General in Jeddah for their prompt service during the amnesty period, which started on 10 May 2013.
Earlier in the day, the foreign minister visited a community hall where embassy officials provided consular services to Bangladeshi nationals. She also visited a job fair organised by the embassy in Riyadh.
-With The Independent input
