Bonny Mascarenhas
Staff Reporter

The Bangladeshi community has expressed delight over the lifting of a ban on the issuance of work visas for compatriots but stressed that programmes should be organised to educate workers on Bahrain’s laws and rules to avoid such a ban in future.The ban was enforced on May 27 after a 38-year-old Bahraini, Mohammed Jassim Dossary, was killed by a Bangladeshi mechanic with a grinder. The Tribune first reported on Monday that the authorities had decided to lift the ban.

“I am glad the ban has been withdrawn but I think that instead of celebrating, my community should begin awareness programmes to ensure that no such ban is imposed in future,” Mohammed Ghulam Rabbani told the Tribune yesterday.

Rabbani, who works as an authorised consultant at Nexus Financial Services said the embassy, clubs, associations and professional Bangladeshis should make concerted efforts in this regard.

“They should set up a programme to provide counselling for workers, explain the laws of the country and legal options available to them to settle grievances.

We have to collectively ensure that there will not be another incident to tarnish our image,” Rabbani said, referring to Dossary’s killing.

Dr. Abir Chowdhury of Shifa Al Jazeera Clinic concurred with Rabbani. But he said Dhaka should draw up a scheme to educate the workers before they left to work in foreign lands.

“A pre-departure course should be organised or men and they should be provided with contact numbers of the embassy or consulate in the country concerned,” he said.

The responsibility of making labourers aware of the laws of the host country should be shouldered by educated Bangladeshis in that country.

“For instance, I come across Bangladeshi workers everyday. I always ask about their living condition and welfare even before I check them for their sickness,” Dr. Chowdhury said.

“It makes them feel good. Sometimes a worker is mentally disturbed for reasons that could be solved easily – like opening a bank account. He may find it difficult because he does not understand the rules. A little help in filling forms or an explanation of the process by an educated person will make things easy for the worker.”

Charge d’Affaires Saiful Islam agreed. “They are right. With proper coordination between the community members, a reason to enforce a ban again can be avoided.”

Islam said he had spoken to people who had shown interest in the idea. The group is expected to meet by the month-end to discuss and draft a strategy to disseminate information and aid to the workers in labour camps.