The Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli has warned the government that a decision might be taken to repatriate Bangladeshi citizens from Libya if the political situation deteriorates in the North African war-torn country.
The labour wing of Bangladesh Embassy in a letter to the expatriate’ welfare and overseas employment ministry sought allocation of additional budget for repatriation and transportation of dead bodies as well as to bear other costs.
Despite expansion of the labour market in postwar Libya, the ethnic and regional violence and armed battles still continue there, read the embassy letter which was received here in Dhaka on March 2.
Bangladeshi workers were frequently moving from one place to another, changing employers and companies, for their security.
Because of this, the original employers are reluctant to take responsibility once something happens to one of these workers. The Bangladesh embassy has to then step in and take care of transportation cost of dead bodies.
Air transportation cost for each dead body from Libya to Bangladesh is Tk five lakh, the letter read.
Egypt which has recently launched air strike on Libya and also repatriated its 10 lakh citizens, and other countries are also in the process of repatriating their citizens, the letter said.
‘Therefore, in light of the deterioration of the political situation in Libya, a decision might be taken to instantly repatriate Bangladeshis,’ the letter added.
According to Bureau of Manpower, Employment Training, Libya has been recruiting Bangladeshi workers since 1976 and it has so far recruited more than 120,000 workers.
Officials said around 50,000 Bangladeshi workers are currently living in Libya.
BMET director (emigration and protocol) Mokabbir Hossain told New Age on Thursday that the government has suspended export of manpower to Libya considering the security problems there.
‘Not a single worker from Bangladesh has been allowed to leave for Libya in the last three months,’ he said, adding that workers were not sent there as international flights to Libya were suspended.
Expatriates welfare and overseas employment ministry joint secretary (welfare and missions) Mohammad Azharul Haque said that the foreign ministry has not taken any decision to shift the Bangladesh missions from Tripoli.
If the situation demands, the government would take decision to repatriate workers from Libya, he said, adding that the government in the past has successfully repatriated the workers with help of international agencies.
Officials said Bangladeshi workers were mostly reluctant to return home from Libya.
Earlier on July 31 last year, in a press statement, the foreign ministry advised all Bangladeshi nationals not to travel to Libya until the situation in the country was stable.
Source: New Age
