Local govt, health ministry of UAE, Qatar looking after sick Bangladeshi workers: Shahriar Alam

The foreign ministry has already contacted the embassies in the UAE and Qatar regarding the issue of Bangladeshi migrant workers falling sick after they depart.

"We have noticed our workers falling sick in Qatar and the UAE after reaching there. It is happening in some places and is not a large scale outbreak. We have been informed about 120 people in the UAE and 60 in Qatar who became sick," state minister for foreign ministry Shahriar Alam told the media Wednesday. 

The ministry organised a press conference after media reports were published on the migrant workers who were falling sick after departure either on the flight or in the destination country.    

The state minister said the number of workers who fell sick is low compared to the overall number who stay in the UAE and Qatar.

The local government and health ministry of those countries are working with the sick workers as it may spread among their citizens.

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman confirmed the issue of the workers who were falling sick with diarrhoea, stomach ache, vomiting, and cholera. 

Although the minister could say nothing regarding the reason why the workers were falling sick, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport sources said some of the workers heading for the UAE or Qatar were falling sick after boarding or reaching the destination country despite being covid negative. This has made the relevant countries' authorities concerned. They have informed the foreign ministry of Bangladesh.  

Assistant health officer at Dhaka airport Shahriar Sajjad told TBS that the passengers of UAE and Qatar come to the airport 10 hours before departure. They take unhealthy roadside and junk foods at that time which may cause such health problems.