Bangladesh government to arrange quarantine hotels for Saudi-bound workers: Momen

Bangladesh government has decided to arrange hotel facilities and partly subsidising it for Saudi-bound workers who are required to stay in quarantine for seven days after landing in the Kingdom, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said today.

"Our people are failing to arrange hotel accommodation there. Also, the expense is too high," the foreign minister told journalists today at the ministry office.

Under such circumstances, he said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had instructed the foreign ministry to take initiatives for arranging hotel facilities.

"I already asked our ambassador in Saudi Arabia to make a list of the migrants going there and then arrange hotel for their quarantine," Momen added.

"If the hotel is expensive, the government will subsidise," he said, adding that he has already spoken to expatriates' welfare ministry.

Saudi-bound Bangladeshi workers have been facing problems with the country's authorities requiring the migrants to arrange hotel booking.

In the last three days, over 1,000 migrants could not leave for Saudi Arabia as they could not manage hotel bookings by themselves. Trade insiders said many migrants are also opting to leave for Saudi Arabia with the rising cost of airfare as well as the expenses of hotel quarantine that costs Tk 60,000-70,000.