DHAKA: The authorities of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on Thursday announced that hundreds of expatriates classified as runaway or huroob cases can avoid jail and go home within 72 hours upon fulfilling some requirements.

The authorities said the runaway expatriates must have no criminal cases pending, settle outstanding fines, pay for their tickets, and have an undertaking from the consulate concerned that they will leave the kingdom in 72 hours.
 
Sources concern said a circular containing the conditions was sent out to all consulates by Muhammad Abdulwahab Nugali, representative of the Foreign Ministry at the General Services Center at Shumaisi, the deportation center near Makkah.

When banglanews contacted to Consul General AKM Shahidul Karim of Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah, he was not available.

Consulate’s councilor (labor) Mokammel Hossain told banglanews “I have seen a report related to the issue in a local newspaper, but we have not received as official letter (from the KSA authorities) yet.”
 
The councilor, however, opined that this would a positive decision for the Bangladeshi (runaway) expatriates.

The sources said that expatriates who have been declared huroob will no longer have to stay behind bar and they can leave the kingdom after taking fingerprinting by the authorities concerned.

Many expatriates went to the country legally, fled workplaces due to dispute with their sponsors (locally known as kafil) and later were declared absconder or huroob.

Usually, the sponsor filed lawsuit showing his/her worker fugitive and submit workers’ passport to the department concerned.

Later the worker were thrown to jail after police caught them without passport.

BDST: 0005 HRS, NOV 27, 2014