No end to women expatriate workers' plight

That Bangladeshi women migrant workers in the Gulf countries, mostly in Saudi Arabia, have to face various forms of harassment in the hands of their employers including physical torture, sexual abuse, and even rape is nothing new. Reportedly, many of these women are even forced into sex trade and are tortured if they refuse.

This daily published several reports in the past about the shoddy and inhuman treatment meted out to our women migrant workers by their employers. And we had called upon the authorities to take measures to mitigate their plight but nothing has changed. Instead, over the years, the situation has actually worsened. In the last year alone, according to a source of Expatriate Welfare Ministry, 2,906 female workers took shelter at the safe home run by Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh after facing violence at their workplace.

While Indonesia, the Philippines and India have stopped sending women workers to the Gulf countries altogether, Bangladesh has been sending more women workers to these countries. We wonder why.

If the government must send women workers to the Gulf, it must ensure safe workplace for them first. Also, the Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh must play a more responsible role while dealing with the cases of abuse. Their responsibility does not simply end with giving the abused workers shelter or by sending them home. Instead, the Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh should work in coordination with the Saudi authorities so that our workers' rights are not violated. Also, our embassy must help the workers in taking legal actions against their abusive employers.