Bangladeshi migrant workers unable to return to Saudi Arabia on schedule due to widespread flight disruptions will be permitted to enter the kingdom even if their residency permits, known as Iqamas, expire in the interim.
The announcement was made in Dhaka by the Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, during an event attended by the Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdullah ibn Dhafer ibn Ubayya.
The minister explained that affected individuals would be granted entry through an automated electronic system upon arrival.
The relief measures follow severe aviation disruptions triggered by Houthi rebel strikes targeting several Saudi airports, including Riyadh and Dammam.
As of Sunday, 146 flights departing from Dhaka had been cancelled or suspended, leaving 22,231 passengers stranded.
Ariful addressed the situation at a seminar on expanding skilled labour migration through strict adherence to Saudi laws, hosted at the BIAM Foundation auditorium in Dhaka, before holding a bilateral meeting with Ambassador ibn Ubayya at the ministry.
The gathering took place amid heightened scrutiny following the execution of two Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia for alleged immoral acts inside a mosque.
Dhaka previously said that it had received no prior notification on the executions carried out on Oct 14, whilst Saudi authorities confirmed the capital punishment through state media without releasing details concerning the investigation or judicial process.
In an official statement, the ministry noted that Ariful underscored the critical importance of complying with destination country legislation, urging both public bodies and recruitment agencies to run awareness campaigns.
Addressing recruitment agencies, the minister stressed that national manpower export targets could only be achieved through close cooperation.
He called for a reduction in migration costs, stating that charging between Tk 700,000 and Tk 800,000 for journeys that should cost roughly Tk 300,000 was unacceptable, urging agencies to run ethical operations rather than burdening labourers with exorbitant fees that trap them in prolonged debt.
The minister also outlined ongoing modern technological initiatives at the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) designed to streamline departure procedures and verify visa validity swiftly, alongside a dedicated open-email service to handle complaints.
Ambassador ibn Ubayya said Bangladeshi nationals constitute the largest foreign workforce in Saudi Arabia, expressing confidence that bilateral ties within the labour sector will continue to strengthen.