25,000 Bangladeshi workers can now return to Oman, Kuwait: CAAB

Uncertainty over the return of around 25,000 Bangladeshi expatriates to their workplaces in Oman and Kuwait is over as Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has withdrawn restriction on the outgoing passengers to these countries.

CAAB came up with the announcement on June 1 (Tuesday) through issuing a circular which will come into effect from June 4.

Leaders of different manpower recruiting organisations and former leaders of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) told The Daily Star today that around 22,000 to 25,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers, who remained stuck in the country over the last one and a half months, will now be able to return to their workplaces in Oman and Kuwait.

Oman in late April and Kuwait in early May imposed ban on entry of Bangladeshis and citizens of several other countries following the second wave of Covid-19.

Later, Bangladesh had also imposed ban on traveling to Oman. 

Oman has already withdrawn the travel ban while Kuwait said it will only allow domestic workers from Bangladesh.

CAAB in its latest travel advisory on June 1 made a new list of 11 countries (Group A) from where none will be allowed to travel to Bangladesh. No Bangladeshis are also allowed to travel to these countries.

The 11 countries are: Argentina, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay.

Only Bangladeshi citizens who visited (not residing there) the 11 countries in 15 days prior to traveling to Bangladesh, are allowed to travel to/from Dhaka with special approval or authorisation from the competent authority of Bangladesh.

On arrival, they will complete a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine at government-nominated hotels at their own expense.

Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Georgia, Iran, Mongolia, Oman, South Africa and Tunisia have been dropped from Group A from where none was allowed to travel to Bangladesh since May 1.

CAAB also said any incoming passenger from eight countries (Group B, which includes eight countries -- Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Greece, Kuwait and Oman) are permitted to travel to Dhaka.

On arrival from these countries, passengers will have to complete a mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine at government-nominated hotels at their own expense.

There are no restrictions on the outgoing passengers to these countries.

As an exception, incoming passengers originating from Kuwait and Oman will have to complete a mandatory three-day institutional quarantine at government-nominated hotels at own expense.

Upon completion of the three-day institutional quarantine, medical test will be carried out. The passenger will be released to complete an 11-day home quarantine if the medical test result is satisfactory.

In case of unsatisfactory medical test result, the passenger will have to go for isolation at government-designated facilities at own expense or continue with the institutional quarantine, CAAB said in its circular.

There will be no restriction for outgoing passengers to travel to Group B countries.

Incoming/outgoing passengers are allowed to and from all countries except Group A and B, CAAB said.  

In that case, incoming passengers from these countries of origin will have to complete 14 days of strict home quarantine.

However, if any Covid-19 symptoms are detected or observed on arrival, the passenger will be sent to government-authorised hospital for further check-up or depending on the nature/intensity of the symptom, will be sent to isolation at government-nominated facilities or hotels at passenger's own expense.