Future of 91 returned migrant workers uncertain

Many of them had sold off their land and borrowed money at high interest rates to go to the foreign land hoping for a better living, but being deprived of payments after working for seven months, they were brought back home through the government initiatives in May and June this year.

Upon the workers' appeal, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) Director General SM Wahid-uz-Zaman promised them compensation, but the bureau is yet to initiate anything, the returnee workers alleged in a human chain in front of BMET office in the city yesterday.

The returnees alleged that they paid around Tk 1 lakh to 2 lakh to the brokers of the recruiting agency Golden View International for going to Jordan to work and were promised jobs carrying salaries ranging from US$ 120 to 350.

The agency sent 115 workers to be employed in the factory named "Al Sahed Apparels Textiles" in Ramta of Jordan between November and December last year.

"We the 115 were allocated only four rooms to stay at night and given very small amount of food. The employer gave us no monthly salary. During the seven months, he only gave us 10 to 15 dinars as pocket money," said Abdul Mannan of Magura.

"When we went to ask for salary, the high officials of the factory beat us, took away our clothes and confined us in the air-cooled rooms," he said.

After the ordeals for several months, the workers went to the Bangladesh Mission in Jordan. As the mission's efforts to realise the workers' payments failed, the Bangladesh government took initiative to bring them back home.

"But after returning home, we are now undergoing another ordeal. We cannot see our relatives at home or find any job either. The moneylenders are seeking the repayment with interest. Now there is no go for us," said Nurul Islam of Debidwar in Comilla who paid Tk 1.75 lakh to a broker, Nazrul.

After his return, he did not go to his family.

"What shall I answer to my parents and wife? And what shall I offer to my two children?" he said.

Another worker, Masud Howlader of Bagerhat, who borrowed Tk 1 lakh promising to pay Tk 5,000 as interest, is also afraid to go home, as the lender is already creating pressure on his family for the repayment.

Many of the returnees are driving rickshaws for a living, a work they had never done.

Meanwhile, DG of BMET SM Wahid-uz-Zaman said the government has already suspended the licence of Golden View International following the allegations.

"The agency has paid the money required for bringing the workers back home. Now we have directed it to send the willing workers abroad again or compensate those who won't," the DG said.

However, the suspension of the licence has to be withdrawn under this condition and the negotiation is going on in this regard, he added.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh mission in Jordan has been entrusted with investigating the matter and taking legal action, if necessary, Wahid-uz-Zaman noted.