Leave requests, paperwork delays: Singapore construction firms feel the effects of Bangladesh unrest

SINGAPORE: Construction companies in Singapore are seeing the effects of Bangladesh’s political turmoil, as more workers return home and paperwork to bring in new workers is delayed.
Bangladesh has been engulfed by violence since student protests broke out in July against job quotas, which eventually led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigning and fleeing by helicopter to neighbouring India on Aug 5. 
The job quota system reserves some public sector jobs for veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war and has been criticised as favouring allies of the ruling party.
An interim government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, has since been sworn in with the aim of holding elections. 
When the unrest reached a peak in the weeks leading up to Hasina’s resignation, many of its Bangladeshi workers in Singapore requested leave to return home and be with their families, Hitomo Construction said. 
The construction firm has 19 Bangladeshi workers, who make up 60 per cent of its foreign workforce. About a third of its Bangladeshi workers asked for leave.
“This definitely caused an impact (on) our ongoing projects’ schedules,” said its director Serene Pan.
The company explained to the workers that it “cannot allow everyone to go on home leave” and that the workers can only take leave on a staggered basis. 
For example, once two foreign workers return from their leave, another pair will be allowed to go. 
“(But) some of them are very insistent to go back and we have no choice but to send them,” said Ms Pan.
The company ended up having to source for local foreign transfer workers – construction workers who are already employed in Singapore – and even tried recruiting new workers from Bangladesh.
But the “near-total” internet shutdown in Bangladesh last month made it “very difficult” to connect to potential foreign workers online, said Ms Pan. 
“Previously, we (didn’t) face such a challenge.”
The outage was a result of protesters setting fire to the state broadcaster. Internet services were only restored more than a week later. 
This was also the case for SM Singapore, a contractor services firm which employs 110 Bangladeshi workers.
Workers who were coming to Singapore from Bangladesh had trouble retrieving the necessary online documents, said general manager Mostak Ahmed.
The paperwork needed to bring them in was also not issued in time. 
The company, however, is “positive” that the situation will stabilise and return “back to normal” after the new government is elected, said Mr Mostak.
As protesters celebrate Hasina’s departure, so are Bangladeshis in Singapore.
“Frankly speaking, it was a sense of immense relief. The long dark night had finally ended,” said Dr Muntasir Mannan Choudhury, a Singapore permanent resident of 17 years. 
Many lives were lost in the past few weeks and with her resignation, there was “no chance of further escalation” in the situation that could lead to further deaths, said the senior consultant hand surgeon at Alpha Joints and Orthopaedics.
He added that the protests were not just about the job quotas but rather a “cumulation of unhappiness and anger” over the years due to many reasons including corruption and lack of freedom of speech. 
“The students and the common people had dared to stand up and had done something which everyone thought was an impossibility, and we rejoice with them,” said Dr Muntasir. 
That being said, the 46-year-old was concerned about the safety of his family back home during the height of the protests, particularly from the government.
“Many of our family members around the globe and at home had expressed their solidarity with the protesters as we all believed it was a righteous and just cause. 
“We were afraid of retribution from the government on the ones who were currently in Bangladesh, especially my elder brother’s family,” said Dr Muntasir. 
Business owner Abdullah Hilton said his worries peaked when he could not contact his family for weeks during the internet outage. 
The Bangaldeshi, who has been in Singapore for 17 years, was also concerned about his younger brother, a journalist who moves around frequently for his job. 
“We (didn’t) know who was going to shoot, who was going to die,” said the 41-year-old.
And it did not help that the spot where a university student was killed was just five minutes away from his parents’ home. 
But both Mr Abdullah and Dr Muntasir said their concerns have been alleviated as things start looking up for their home country.
Dr Muntasir said he is hopeful about Bangladesh’s future, pointing out that Professor Yunus is the “best choice” to lead the country. 
The inclusion of the two student leaders from the group that led the protests in the new Cabinet will be one of its “greatest strengths” in representing people’s voices, he said. 
“We believe the people have been heard and that door will not be closed. It’s a start.” 
Likewise, Mr Abdullah said the changes the protests brought will serve as a warning for the next government. 
“Because of the student protesters, the government (that) will be formed in the future will not dare to do anything dishonest.”