Mamun, a resident of Noakhali Sadar, works as a truck driver for a company in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After living abroad for five years, he returned to Bangladesh for the first time two months ago.
His return flight to Riyadh was scheduled for October 11, but it was cancelled. He booked another ticket for October 12, only for that flight to be cancelled as well.
With just five days left on his visa, Mamun grew increasingly worried. He finally secured a ticket for a flight to Medina on October 15.
Despite fears over the ongoing conflict, he is relieved to be able to return to Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s (HSIA) departure terminal, Mamun said: “My visa is about to expire, but I could not leave. I was extremely worried. Finally, I can travel via Medina.”
However, the alternative route means more time, expense and hassle. From Medina, he will have to travel by bus for 12 to 14 hours to reach Riyadh.
“We have already faced so much trouble, and now there is more waiting for us in Medina. Travelling from there to Riyadh will take 12 to 14 hours by bus, with additional expenses. But we have no choice. We have to go, so we are accepting the extra costs and risks. Please pray for us,” he said.
Parvez, an expatriate worker from Manikganj, has faced similar difficulties following repeated flight cancellations.
“We have been through a lot of hassle. One flight after another was cancelled, and I thought I would not be able to travel at all. Now I have to go via Medina,” he said.
With around seven days remaining on his visa, Parvez decided to travel rather than risk further delays.
“I know there are security concerns, but we have no choice. We have to go,” he said.
Al Amin, from Nabinagar in Brahmanbaria, said flights to Riyadh and Dammam had been cancelled, leaving passengers uncertain about when services would resume.
“All flights to Riyadh and Dammam have been cancelled, and nobody knows when they will resume. Our visas are also about to expire. What are we supposed to do? We are being forced to travel via Medina and then take a bus to Riyadh, which will take around 14 hours,” he said.
“If we could fly directly, we would not have to go through all this trouble. But what can we do? We have no other option if we want to keep our jobs,” he added.
A visit to the airport found expatriate workers travelling to Riyadh via Medina, with many whose visas were nearing expiry changing their tickets to take the alternative route.
The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight to Medina was scheduled to depart at 3:55pm, and passengers began arriving at the airport by noon. As they prepared to board, their earlier anxiety gave way to relief at finally being able to travel.
Passengers said they had to make repeated trips from their villages to change their tickets. The alternative route and additional travel expenses were costing them an extra Tk20,000-25,000.
Despite the added costs and security concerns, many were relieved to be able to leave Bangladesh before their visas expired.
On October 10, Riyadh airport came under attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Dammam airport was subsequently targeted by a missile, disrupting flight operations.
By Thursday, over 100 flights had been cancelled from HSIA, leaving more than 15,000 expatriate Bangladeshis stranded.