Foreign minister asks Bangladeshi expats not to come home unless compelled

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has requested expatriates not to return home unless they are compelled by circumstances.

He made the request while inaugurating a call centre providing health services and consultations to expatriate Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia through a video conference on Wednesday.

Through the call centre, doctors will provide health services and consultations to expatriates by telephone from 9:00am till 9:00pm Saudi Arabian time.

The expatriates will have good times after passing through the present bad times, with the government providing food assistance so that no Bangladeshis abroad remained hungry, said the foreign minister.

Describing expatriates as assets of the country, he said all the diplomatic missions had been instructed to assist them. He urged them to follow health instructions in order to remain free from coronavirus.

Dr Momen said that an opportunity had been created for 2.2 million Bangladeshi expatriates to receive health services while staying at home.

He asked Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions in countries where a large number of expatriates reside to introduce this system.

The foreign minister reiterated his pledge to extend all out support to expatriates in this regard.

This service is in place in some countries, including in New York in the US and London in the UK, he said, calling upon the expatriates to avail this service in the prevailing situation.