BSS-51 Momen asks envoys to protect expatriate workers’ job in ME

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BSS-51

MOMEN-ME-ENVOY

Momen asks envoys to protect expatriate workers’ job in ME

DHAKA, April 27, 2020 (BSS) – Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen today asked Bangladesh envoys in 11 Middle East (ME) countries to put all diplomatic efforts in job retention of expatriate Bangladeshi workers’ in those oil rich nations as the world have been scrambling to contain COVID-19 pandemic.

Through their diplomatic efforts, he also instructed the Bangladesh envoys of those countries to ensure salaries and allowances if any expatriate worker returns to Bangladesh.

The foreign minister gave the directives at a videoconference with Bangladesh Ambassadors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Libya, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Oman.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam and Foreign Secretary Masud Bin slso joined the virtual meeting.

Momen also asked the Bangladesh missions to continue their efforts in providing food assistance to the expatriate workers’ there.

The foreign minister urged all expatriate Bangladeshis to follow health guidelines of their respective host countries amid sequestration due to deadly pandemic.

Under the directives of the foreign ministry, Bangladesh missions abroad have already established ‘hotline numbers’ and many missions formed ‘pool of doctors’ to provide online medical advice to the expatriate Bangladeshis.

The missions distributed food and necessary items among the Bangladesh community living in different countries, particularly in the Middle East with the allocated funds disbursed by foreign ministry in coordination with expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry.

The foreign ministry has also established a web page titled “COMBAT CORONA” on its website for providing telemedicine services, awareness raising and disseminating COVID-19 related information which is also connected with hotlines of the embassies.

The ministry has also created a “WhatsApp Envoys” to keep continuous contact with Bangladesh missions abroad while all missions are sending daily reports to the ministry on COVID-19 from their respective host countries.

The foreign ministry in cooperation with Bangladesh Armed Forces has sent some gifts to few countries including Bhutan, the Maldives, China and Kuwait.

In addition, Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen has sent letters to the Foreign Minister’s or spoken over to many relevant countries and few letters have been sent jointly by Foreign Minister and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister.

On Wednesday, at a video conference with foreign ministers of the member states of OIC executive committee, Momen urged OIC countries to give utmost importance on the issue of job retention of domestic and resident migrant workers.

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