Bangladeshi expatriates submit memo demanding vaccination urgently

Expatriates, who came home to Bangladesh in the pandemic, submitted a memorandum to the Chattogram District Employment and Manpower Office demanding two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine on a priority basis.
 
They submitted the memorandum on Tuesday to Mohammad Zahirul Alam Majumder, deputy director of the District Employment and Manpower Office.

Their three demands in the memorandum were: making it possible for expatriates to register for vaccination with the 'Surokkha Covid -19 Vaccine Prodan App', ensuring registration of expatriates on the basis of their passports and valid visas if they do not have National Identity Cards (NIDs), and giving them two doses of the vaccine on an urgent basis.

The say in the memorandum that expatriates have third place in terms of priority in the Covid-19 vaccination programme. 
 
The expatriates say, even after contacting Chattogram Medical College Hospital, the District Civil Surgeon's Office, and the District Employment and Manpower Office for three days straight, they have not been able to get a satisfactory solution to getting vaccinated.

Hence they drew the attention of the prime minister to get vaccinated for Covid-19 without further difficulty.

Submitting the memorandum, the expatriates say they are helpless and victims of harassment.
 
The vacation time and visa expiration dates for many of them are going to end soon, they said.
 
If they do not get vaccinated and return to their workplaces on time, they will suffer major losses, added the expatriates.
 
Zahirul Alam,  deputy director of the District Employment and Manpower Office , said, "Expatriates have contacted our office about the vaccine. They gave us a memorandum seeking assurance with regard to getting vaccinated. We are contacting the expatriate welfare ministry so that they can register for vaccination on the Surokkha app without difficulty and can go back to work abroad."