Expats Crowd Biman, Saudi Airlines Offices for Tickets

Saudi expatriates gathered in front of Biman and Saudi Airline offices in the city on Thursday to confirm their air tickets for their return to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabian Airlines began issuing tickets to Bangladeshi expatriates on Thursday morning.

Jashim Uddin, a Saudi expatriate, told the UNB that he collected a token last Sunday and that he will get his ticket next Saturday.

Saudi Airlines is issuing 500 tickets a day following the serial numbers of tokens, he said.

A notice announcing the procedure was also hung outside the Saudi Airlines office on the matter, he added.

A long queue of expatriates was seen in the morning in front of the Saudi Airlines office in the Karwan Bazar area.

In addition, Biman Bangladesh Airlines also began issuing tickets from its Matijheel office for flights scheduled for 26 and 27 September.

A large number of expatriates also thronged in front of Biman 's office.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen told UNB that the Saudi government gave Biman permission to land, and Bangladesh also allowed all Saudi airlines to land here and take Bangladeshis back to the KSA.

Momen said that the Saudi government has also agreed to extend visas for Bangladeshis who want to return to their places of work in the Kingdom, but their visas have expired.

Migrants protested for the third consecutive day in Dhaka on Wednesday for tickets to Saudi Arabia. They came home with return tickets but could not return due to a shortage of Biman flights in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Biman requested passengers with return tickets dated March 16 and 17 to contact its sales office on September 24 with tickets, passports and approval from apps/links specified by Saudi Arabia.

Biman said that all passengers will undergo coronavirus tests in Dhaka and must enter Saudi Arabia within 48 hours of the test.

Migrants protested in front of the Expatriate Welfare Ministry in Eskaton on Wednesday, demanding the extension of visas and Iqamas and the arrangement of air tickets to return to Saudi Arabia.

A group of demonstrators marched to Probashi Kallyan Bhaban, took the road outside the ministry, and demonstrated.

Another group of protesters demonstrated in front of the Jatiya Press Club and the foreign ministry.