As we wind down the first 10 days of Ramadan, days and nights meant for prayers of mercy, we must not forget that such supplications should be supplemented by our own acts of good deeds — deeds that are not necessarily confined to individuals. They should include institutions as well.
Take the case of Dr. Biswajit Acharjee, a Bangladeshi doctor who came to this country back in April 2006 as a general practitioner. Arriving with his wife (also a GP) and two children to Dammam, he soon passed the Saudi Council for Health Specialists exam and started duty at a local polyclinic.
Six months later, after settling in and establishing his trade at the polyclinic, his sponsor who owned the establishment passed away. According to the Kingdom’s laws, if the heirs of a deceased health facility owner are not qualified in the medical field, they cannot administer the operations of such facilities. The clinic was sold to another Saudi a few months later, while Dr. Acharjee continued to work there.
The new owner told the staff to continue their duties as before, and began with signing a one-year contract with Dr. Acharjee and his wife to that affect. What he didn’t tell them at the time was that he had not begun the process to transfer their sponsorship under his name.
Time passed while the couple continued working at the clinic, but when it came time for contract renewal, it was skipped over and the couple suspected there was no initiative being taken to transfer their sponsorship under his name. According to the doctor, “our license (Saudi Council for Health Specialists) is expiring on Aug. 22, 2009, and after we implored our sponsor to act in this regard, he went to the Ministry of Health for renewal.” But the ministry refused to do so. They told the sponsor to first transfer the doctors under his name, after which the licenses would be renewed.
Dr. Acharjee continues, “you know that transfer (sponsorship change) has been totally stopped for Bangladeshis by your government for more than two years according to the information our sponsor keeps telling us.
“Our sponsor recently went to the Interior Ministry office in Riyadh and submitted all relevant documents but office refused to take action (as told to us by our sponsor). The Interior Ministry office informed our sponsor to check back after 15 days. That time passed on Aug. 5, 2009. Now our sponsor is telling us that the Interior Ministry office refused the transfer verbally, not in writing. He told us to prepare for our exit from this country within a few days.
“The things I want you to know is that we are practicing medicine in good faith here. Why should we be forced to exit? We are living here with family. Our kids are studying in school. If we are to leave now, our kids will lose one year of schooling.
“Sir, why has the transfer of all Bangladeshi nationals been stopped, including that of doctors? I have heard that professional’s visa and transfer has not been included in the ban by the Saudi government. Whether it is true or not, I don’t know. Yes, we know Bangladeshis have had a bad reputation in recent times. Our prime minister visited the Kingdom and met with King Abdullah. At that time they agreed to solve the problem but till now no progress.
“We are going to leave within two months as directed by our sponsor at a great loss. Still, I don’t know what is my fault? I think the fault is, ‘I am a Bangladeshi’”.
Would it not be appropriate for the relevant authorities to give this tormented man’s case a second look during this holy month, and at the least grant him an extension until he can get the matters sorted out? Isn’t that what Ramadan is all about?
