Dhaka’s Panthapath area was brought to a standstill as nearly 300 expatriates, mainly bound for Saudi Arabia, staged a protest blocking the road after being unable to receive the required vaccines.
The protest began around 10:30am on Tuesday (21 January) in front of Square Hospital, causing severe traffic disruption in the vicinity.
According to police sources, the majority of the protesters are Saudi-bound expatriates, along with some Omrah pilgrims.
They had appointments to receive vaccinations at various hospitals across the capital. However, upon arrival, they were informed that the vaccines were unavailable and were directed to Square Hospital, only to face the same shortage there.
The agitation stems from the unavailability of mandatory vaccines crucial for their travel to Middle Eastern countries.
Sub-Inspector Jubayer of Tejgaon Police Station mentioned that the hospital could only supply 10 to 15 doses per day, far short of the demand from nearly 300 expatriates.
“Most of the protesters are Saudi expatriates, along with a few Omrah pilgrims and travellers to other Middle Eastern countries,” he added.
Square Hospital Senior Vice President Dr Faisal Zaman informed that the hospital had exhausted its vaccine stock the previous day.
"Radiant Pharma, the importing company, stated it would take 10-15 days to bring in more stock. We have been overwhelmed by the sudden influx of people due to the Saudi government's new vaccine mandate," said Dr Zaman.
This protest followed the new directive from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, mandating meningitis vaccines for Hajj and Omrah pilgrims, effective from 10 February, as per the Saudi government's recent regulations.
The situation remains tense as the hospital awaits new vaccine shipments, and authorities have been urged to intervene to address the crisis promptly.
