Saudi Arabia forcibly sent back 373 Bangladeshi workers in 24 hours though the deportees claimed that they had all the legal documents, reports UNB.

A flight carrying 200 deportees landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:30pm on Friday and another flight landed with 173 Bangladeshis on Saturday night, said Md Shariful Hasan, head of BRAC Migration Programme.

BRAC provided them with food and water instantly, and helped them go home safely from the airport, he added.

Two Narail brothers — Nayan Molla and Shukkur Molla — were deported from Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.

Nayan alleged that he had taken his younger brother to Saudi Arabia barely two months back but police arrested Shukkur and forcibly sent both of them back home.

Shoeb Hossain of Kishoreganj who had been doing business in Saudi Arabia for the last 10 years was deported back home empty-handed leaving behind his 180,000 Riyal business there. “I had legal permission (akama) to stay there two more months but police forced me out,” he added.

According to Brac Migration Programme, about 18,000 Bangladeshi workers were deported from Saudi Arabia this year.

As many as 257,317 workers went to Saudi Arab last year. Between January and August this year, 234,071 workers went to the Kingdom, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training.