KSA should reduce lengthy repatriation of dead bodies

IT is totally unacceptable that the return of a migrant workers corpse from Saudi Arabia takes six months time as it sounds quite unimaginable at this time of quick moving transportation system. Media report said even if an expatriate worker dies his body faces intricate accountability regime to Saudi bureaucratic system without appreciation of the fact that it renders deceased’s family back at home to pass in untold agonies. It also violates our religious dictum that burial must end in quickest possible time. The unusually lengthy time is required as appears for clearance of the deceased body from at least 12 government organizations such as from hospital authorities to critical immigration control and so on.

Almost half of Bangladesh’s migrant workers live in Saudi Arabia. While bringing corpses from Malaysia, Singapore and Qatar requires only a week, the long time to get back the body from Saudi Arabia is disappointing. It can’t be allowed to continue and there must be initiative from our government to cut the repatriation short – very short. It needs diplomatic efforts but we are not sure whether our Foreign Ministry or diplomatic mission in the Kingdom has ever taken such matter to Saudi authorities to make them aware of the agonies we suffer from their lengthy system. Such move must be initiated as soon as possible at a time when many corpses are left in waiting almost on daily basis.

The fact is that our wage earners get little attention of our diplomatic missions when they die of hard work or diseases and on death neglect to the dead also fail make the repatriation inordinately delayed. There must be a through review to bring improvement in the system to end or at least reduce suffering of our people. It is a long time problem impacting life of one or the other almost on daily basis. But sincere efforts were missing from our successive governments to speed up the process.

It goes without saying that migrant workers’ welfare gets least attention in their host countries as well as in the country of origin. While the country’s economic development is growing fast riding on vigorous remittance inflow, the government’s indifference to their problems is totally abhorrent. Remittances from more than 10 million citizens abroad are one of the key sources of foreign exchange, a lifeline for us. In 2014-15 fiscal, the migrants sent $15.3 billion, the highest ever in a single year. We know they have welfare fund from their contribution but its benefits go to vested interest groups. They face ruthless exploitation in the hands of manpower agents when they leave the country for jobs abroad. They remain unattended when they need treatment and support in dire condition. And return of their dead bodies face the endless neglect at big expense to our human values. We must say let there be an end to it.