Body of Bangladeshi worker killed in Bahrain arrives at HSIA

The body of Bangladeshi worker SM Tarek, who was killed in Bahrain amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Thursday.
The remains were flown in on Gulf Air flight GF 2250 from Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The body was received at the airport by Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury, State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare Md Nurul Haque and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam.

Speaking at the airport, Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury expressed deep condolences, stating that a total of six Bangladeshis have so far lost their lives in the Middle East conflict. He said the Ministries of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Foreign Affairs, and Civil Aviation and Tourism were working in a coordinated manner to expedite the repatriation of bodies through continuous communication with bereaved families and relevant foreign authorities.

He further said the family of the deceased had received Tk 35,000 for burial expenses and Tk 50,000 in immediate cash assistance from the Wage Earners' Welfare Board. In addition, Tk 300,000 will be provided as financial assistance and Tk 1,000,000 as insurance compensation. He assured that longer term support would be provided in coordination with the Member of Parliament of the deceased's constituency.

State Minister Md Nurul Haque said that the bodies of three expatriate Bangladeshis have so far been repatriated. He assured continued communication with the families of the deceased and said the ministry was issuing regular directives and conducting awareness campaigns to ensure that expatriate Bangladeshis in the Middle East remain on high alert amid the evolving situation.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam highlighted ongoing diplomatic efforts to ensure the safety and security of Bangladeshi expatriates. She said the government was pursuing diplomatic engagement to extend visa validity for expatriates affected by the current situation. Responding to a query, she added that strict measures were being taken against human trafficking networks and that urgent steps were underway to repatriate Bangladeshi nationals detained in camps in Greece.

Others present at the airport included Dhaka 18 MP SM Jahangir Hossain, Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Mokhtar Ahmed, Director General (Consular and Welfare) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dewan Ali Ashraf, and Director General (acting) of the Wage Earners' Welfare Board Dr ATM Mahbub ul Karim.