Govt steps up aid for expatriates in Middle East

Labour and Employment and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury on Tuesday said the government is providing maximum support to expatriates living in the Middle East.

“In line with the instructions of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the government is working to provide maximum support to expatriates in the Middle East,” he said.

The minister made the remarks while attending the Namaj-e Janaza of the deceased Ahmed Ali, who was killed in Dubai during the war between Iran, Israel, and the United States, at Barolekha in Moulvibazar.

He added that the government formed a monitoring team in coordination with three ministries immediately after the outbreak of the Middle East war. The Prime Minister is receiving regular updates on Bangladeshi citizens through this team.

Ariful Haque said that since the war began, the Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the Civil Aviation Ministry, and various Bangladeshi missions in the Middle East have been working jointly.

A total of four Bangladeshis have so far been killed in the conflict, the minister noted, adding that the body of one deceased expatriate has already arrived in the country, while the government will bring the bodies of the others at government expense after completing formalities abroad.

“We have already communicated with all the bereaved families and are keeping them regularly updated,” he said. Those injured in the war are receiving treatment through the embassies, while expatriates who are jobless or confined to their homes due to the conflict are being provided with food and other assistance.

The minister also confirmed that the government will support the families of the deceased.

Earlier, the coffin of Ahmed Ali arrived at his home in Barolekha, and the minister conveyed his deepest sympathy to the bereaved family.

Senior Secretary of the Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry Dr Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan, Wage Earners’ Welfare Board Director General Barrister Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan, and Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner Towhiduzzaman Pavel were also present.