Nightmares in dreamland

Humayun is always haunted by the fear of being deported because he is an undocumented immigrant.

"I was, in fact, a businessman. I used to earn more than what I do now. But one day my Bangladeshi partner technically drove me out of the business, forcing me to take up the odd job," said a distraught Humayun (not his real name).

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He comes from Mirsarai thana of Chittagong district. He migrated to the USA from Saudi Arabia five years ago as a domestic help of a wealthy family and then chose to stay here permanently.

Humayun has long been trying to legalise his status without any luck.

"I also married a black woman on contract to have a Green Card… but the woman and my lawyer, who is also from the black community, cheated me. The woman even took away all my money from the bank, as I had to open a joint account as part of the process to prove that she is my wife," Humayun recalls.

"But I am not ready to give up. I still dream of going back home with a US Green Card and getting married," he said.

There is nothing unique in Humayun's case. He is among 5,000 undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants in California.

According to Md Shahidul Islam, the Bangladesh consul general in Los Angeles, there are some 40,000 Bangladeshi immigrants living in California, one of the largest states of the USA, and they have reputations as hard workers.

The consul general told UNB that they had put forward a proposal to the US authorities to provide IDs to Bangladeshi undocumented immigrants so that they can open accounts in particular banks and have access to libraries in the USA.

"They (the US authorities) have assured us of looking into the matter," Islam said.

There is, however, good news for the undocumented immigrants, he said. President Bush recently vowed to push a plan that would allow undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States as guest workers.

It would allow three-year work visas for an undetermined number of the millions of immigrants living illegally in the US

Guest workers could then apply for permanent legal status, but their applications would have to include letters from employers assuring that the migrants were filling jobs that could not be filled by US citizens.

The Bangladesh consul general hopes that after the implementation of Bush's plan, Bangladeshi undocumented immigrants in the USA would be enjoying the same benefits as other Hispanic immigrants.

Whatever may be the case, undocumented immigrants and even some of those who have earned legal status are frustrated after the re-election of President Bush. Hundreds of immigrants, including Bangladeshis, are now trying to migrate to Canada.

"I'm totally frustrated. I couldn't be a US citizen even after living here for the last 16 years. So I'm going to Canada next month to settle there permanently," says Adil, another Bangladeshi.