Ensure damages, cancel agencies' licences

Returning empty-handed from Iraq around 18 months ago after being allegedly cheated by two recruiting agencies, 19 Bangladeshi workers yesterday demanded that the government cancel their licences and compel them to provide compensation.

Holding a press conference in the capital's Dhaka Reporters Unity under the banner "Anirban Survivor Voice", the 19 accused the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry of not taking punitive measures despite the allegation being proven through several hearings.

"It has been 18 months since we started making our demands...through the ministry and BMET (the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training)," Md Masud, one of the 19, read out from a written statement.

"But the government bodies concerned are not taking any action, rather are harassing us," he said in frustration, adding that they could see no hope of getting justice.

A total of 27 Bangladeshis went to Iraq between February and March of 2013 through four agencies -- Morning Sun Enterprise, Meghna Trade International, East Bengal Overseas and Idea International.

Each spent about Tk 4 lakh for jobs with a monthly salary of US$ 350.

After being practically confined the whole time, 22 were able to come back in two phases in November 30 of 2013 and February 17 last year while the whereabouts of the remaining five remained unknown since they fled from captivity.

Three got their money back from East Bengal Overseas and Idea International.

One of the remaining 19 filed two separate cases centring trafficking and fraudulence with the capital's airport police station against the agencies and Bangladesh Migrant Foundation (BMF), which arranged the jobs.

Police arrested two persons, including the BMF chairman, but they came out on bail.

The victims said the BMF chairman was now intimidating them and had filed a robbery case against one of them, Emaz Uddin Pramanik, in Naogaon.

This correspondent's calls over the phone for comments from the ministry secretary and BMET director general were not received at the other end.