RIYADH — Bangladesh Foreign and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury is scheduled to visit the Kingdom shortly to discuss labor issues with his counterpart, Bangladeshi Ambassador Ikramul Haque told Arab News yesterday.Haque refuted local media reports that the Kingdom has stopped issuing visas to Bangladeshi workers.
“Profiling Bangladeshis for all the crimes in the Kingdom is unfair and blaming the whole community for all the faults of a selected few is unjust,” he said.
Besides meeting the Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, the envoy said, Chowdhury would also meet Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal to discuss bilateral issues relevant at the moment. “Any problems could be resolved through dialogue and discussions for the mutual benefits of the two countries.”
Haque added that the common problems faced by the workers include not receiving their salaries, being paid less than what was originally agreed-upon and being ordered to pay for their own visa renewals. The envoy pointed out that his workers respect the local laws and they believe in the judicial system of the Kingdom.
“We have confidence in the Kingdom’s set up, which functions under Islamic law. The mission reminds its workers from time to time that they should comply with the local regulations,” the ambassador added.
