A report from Bangladesh highlights the difficulties faced by families of deceased expatriate workers when collecting bodies from airports. One case involved Omar Faruk from Gaibandha, whose body arrived in Dhaka from Riyadh but was handed over to relatives after a 14-hour delay due to paperwork complications. Families often allege harassment and corruption during the release process, particularly when they lack proper documentation.

Officials from the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board have denied these allegations, stating that bodies are handed over without unnecessary delay and that each family receives an immediate payment of 35,000 taka for burial expenses. The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment recently reported that 34 bodies arrived from Kuwait, Malaysia, and Libya after being delayed by conflict in the Middle East, and all families received financial support. The ministry has also arranged free transport of bodies from Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet airports and added two new ambulances for this service.

According to government data, 4,813 expatriate workers’ bodies were repatriated in 2024, compared to 4,552 in 2023.