Bangladesh received bodies of 435 migrant workers from Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah region while 847 others were buried in the foreign land in the just passed 2021.
Of the total, 122 workers died of Covid-19, according to the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
A report of the consulate general showed it issued 1,282 no objection certificates (NOCs) against the dead bodies of migrants last year.
On the other hand, the mission issued NOCs against 1,882 dead bodies in 2020. Of those, 1,596 bodies were buried in the Arab nation and 286 were sent to Bangladesh.
In 2020, 464 workers died of Covid-19.
Talking to the FE, Aminul Islam, counsellor (Labour) in Jeddah, said the number of deaths from Covid declined in 2021 compared to the immediate past year.
So, the overall death figure came down in the just concluded calendar year, he mentioned.
The consulate received more than Tk 65 million from the respective employers of the deceased as their dues and service benefits in 2021.
The fund was sent to the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board (WEWB) to be provided among families of the workers left behind at home.
It also sent over Tk 180 million to the board as compensation received from the Arab nation, the report also said.
Around 428 bodies were sent home with the expenditures borne by their employers. Seven other bodies were flown home with financial support of the Bangladesh government.
About 2.2 million Bangladeshis are staying in Saudi Arabia with jobs, according to the Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh.
