Many Bangladeshi workers staying in Saudi Arabia have not been getting due wages for months, thus living in reduced circumstances during this coronavirus pandemic.
Talking to the FE, some workers said they have not been given due wages since last five to six months. As a result, they cannot remit to Bangladesh for long.
Their families back home here are suffering from an acute financial crisis, they added.
On the other hand, migrant rights activists said they are receiving a significant number of phone calls of workers from different foreign job destinations, especially from Saudi Arabia.
Most workers said they have remained jobless or they have not received due wages from their employers.
Meanwhile, rights groups sought measures to support the workers who are grossly affected by Covid-19.
Otherwise, it will impact the country's remittance inflow in the coming days.
Abul Kalam Azad, a migrant, said he and his 20 Bangladeshi colleagues have remained unpaid since January 2020.
They are working at a cleaning company in Dammam. As they asked for dues, his employer told them to wait further.
But they are yet to get their salaries, he added.
Mr Kalam said they went to the oil-rich country 10 months ago. They were given wages until December 2019.
"The employer assured us of paying wages in February. But since the outbreak of coronavirus, the company has frequently been changing dates for payment of dues."
Bon Voyage Travels and Overseas (PVT) Ltd sent the workers for cleaning jobs in Dammam.
The employer, Emdad and Ebda Est, engaged them in a court and a jail located in a neighborhood of Dammam, he said.
"As the owner is not paying our salaries, we are not going to work for the past 15 days," Mr Kalam mentioned.
They are passing through an uncertain future. "Some kind-hearted Saudi citizens provided us zakat and food during Ramadan that lasted a few days only," he added.
Md Saud Khan, another worker, said his company has so far not given Iqama (work permit).
They are staying as irregular workers now, although the recruiting agency assured that the company would make their Iqama, he added.
Mr Khan agreed to go to the kingdom with a lower wage of Saudi riyal 900 (Tk 20,385) per month.
Now, they cannot search new jobs as the recruitment remains almost halted due to the pandemic, he added.
"I communicated with some companies but didn't get any positive response," he said, adding that he cannot plan to return home as he spent almost Tk 400,000 as migration cost.
Mr Khan managed the money through borrowing from lenders. He could pay only Tk 100,000 to them.
Therefore, it is really difficult to go back home. Moreover, the coronavirus pandemic has also hit hard Bangladesh's economy.
Bangladesh Nari Sramik Kendra executive director Sumaiya Islam said they are receiving eight to 10 phone calls from migrant workers, 50 per cent of whom are males, daily.
Most of them reported wage-related problems as well as food and proper accommodation crisis.
Ms Islam demanded proper support from both the governments. Manpower recruiters also have to be accountable to resolve the problems.
However, Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme (OKUP) received as many as 2,780 phone calls from migrant workers from different destinations since April.
Of them, 760 were from the Gulf state.
Of the total callers from the KSA, 376 male and 22 female workers reported that they did not get wages.
On the other hand, 425 males and 18 females also lost their jobs during the ongoing pandemic period.
OKUP chairman Shakirul Islam said the embassy officials should communicate with workers and negotiate with the companies to ensure wages.
If the workers remain unpaid, it will cast a damper on the country's remittance income as well as workers' daily life and families back home.
Saudi Arabia is the largest job destination for Bangladeshi workers with an estimated 2.0 million Bangladeshis workers.
They remit home a staggering $3.0 billion annually through official channel.
