Govt won’t take responsibility for Bangladeshi expats who break host-country laws: minister

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury today said Bangladesh would not take responsibility for citizens who violate the laws of their host countries, warning that such conduct could also damage the reputation of law-abiding Bangladeshis abroad.

Speaking to reporters at the ministry, Ariful made the remarks in response to questions about the cancellation of visas of thousands of Bangladeshis in the United Arab Emirates.

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“If you go to a country, you have to follow that country’s rules. If you go there and commit a crime, will we take responsibility for that?” he said.

The minister said the actions of some expatriate Bangladeshis had tarnished the image of others living and working lawfully in the UAE.

“Good, innocent people who are working there are now also being viewed negatively,” he said. “You have to understand that if you are staying in another country, you have to obey its laws. You cannot stay there and protest against that country.”

Ariful said there were additional aspects of the issue that he could not disclose publicly. He urged expat Bangladeshis to act responsibly, saying their actions could affect the wider Bangladeshi community in host countries.

His remarks came ahead of a demonstration planned for tomorrow at the ministry by Bangladeshis affected by visa cancellations in the UAE.

According to information previously shared by the government, more than 4,000 Bangladeshi expatriates have had their visas cancelled in the UAE. The issue drew wider attention after State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque spoke about the matter on September 7. On the same day, around 350 affected expatriates and their family members submitted a five-point demand seeking government intervention.

Separately, Ariful said the government was placing greater emphasis on skills and language training for migrant workers.

He said training programmes should be tailored to overseas demand, including for welders, plumbers and other skilled workers.

The minister also advised workers against migrating through travel agencies or middlemen instead of licensed recruiting agencies.

On airport facilities, Ariful said the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board had ordered 1,200 trolleys after learning of shortages.

He said 50 trolleys would be provided to each of Chattogram and Sylhet airports, while 150 would initially be allocated to Dhaka airport. Eventually, around 1,000 trolleys would be required at Dhaka airport alone.

The ministry is also working to introduce additional facilities for migrant workers at airports, including lounges, baby-care corners and children’s play areas, he said.

Ariful added that district administrations in areas with large migrant worker populations would be asked to hear their grievances and stay in touch with the ministry to help resolve complaints involving various government agencies.