Saudi-bound new workers also to get government subsidy

Apart from the old Saudi-bound workers, the new workers who have BMET smart cards or who are registered as the members of Wage Earners Welfare Board will also get the government subsidy.

The government will provide Tk 25,000 from Wage Earners Welfare Board as hotel quarantine expense to all Saudi-bound workers, including the new ones, according to a decision made by the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment on Thursday.

Expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister Imran Ahmed’s assistant personal secretary Mohammad Rasheduzzaman confirmed the matter to media.

New workers are requested to visit the website of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment www.probashi.gov.bd, or the website of Wage Earners Welfare Board www.wewb.gov.bd, or the website of Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) www.bmet.gov.bd to collect application forms.

The new workers would also contact to the expatriate welfare desks located in three international airports of the country in this regard.

The ministry will deposit the money to the bank account of the expatriate worker or his nominated person after completing all procedures.

According to the ministry, new expat workers have to submit some papers with the application form which include photocopy of smart card or immigration clearance card issued by BMET, photocopy of first four pages of passport, photocopy of visa attached to the passport, photocopy of air ticket, and photocopy of hotel booking document.

The new workers who have already left for Saudi Arabia and completed, or are doing quarantine at their own expense, have to fill the relevant application form and submit it by post to the Embassy of Bangladesh in Riyadh or the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah by June 30 to get this benefit.

Earlier, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment announced to provide Tk 25,000 to Saudi-bound expatriate workers who returned to the country on vacation.

Since then the Saudi-bound new workers were urging the government to provide subsidy to them so that they can afford the quarantine facilities in designated hotels in the Gulf state.