Dhaka: Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam on Tuesday said the governments of Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Iraq have legalised some 10 lakh and 77 thousand undocumented Bangladeshi overseas workers as a result of successful diplomatic efforts of the present government.

‘Bangladeshi undocumented workers in various countries are becoming legal due to relentless diplomatic efforts of the government,’ he said while replying to a question from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) lawmaker Nazmul Haque Pradhan in parliament.

The minister said the government has undertaken various measures for the welfare of Bangladeshi overseas workers.

He said the Saudi Arabian government legalised around eight lakh undocumented Bangladeshi overseas workers, Malaysian government 2,67,000 and Iraqi government 10,000 workers.

Nurul Islam informed the house that apart from passports the government has been issuing out passes against the workers facing different problems abroad for their returning home.

He said the government realized 68 crore 53 lakh 63 thousand and 373 Taka in favour of 1,139 deceased workers abroad from their employers during the Fiscal Year 2015-16 as compensation/ insurance/ dues/ service benefit, which was distributed among their inheritances.

Besides, the government provided nine crore 84 lakh and 90 thousand Taka while handing over the bodies of dead workers to their family members at airport during 2015-16 financial year as burial expenditure, the minister said adding that each family of the deceased workers got Tk 35,000.

Meanwhile, the government provides Tk three lakh to each family of the legal overseas workers dying abroad. In this regard, the government provided Tk 165 crore three lakh 83 thousand and 537 as financial assistance to families of 5,868 dead workers from Wage Earners Welfare Board in 2015-16, he told the house.