Trafficked Bangladeshi workers in Cambodia in distress

Over 100 trafficked Bangladeshi workers are in deep distress in Cambodia, according to an investigation report of the government.

Those Bangladeshi workers were trafficked to Cambodia on Sticker/Stamp visas showing them as tourists or visitors by Bangladeshi recruiting agencies and their brokers based in Dhaka, Singapore and Bangkok, said the investigation done by the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment.

New Age accessed the report prepared by the EWOE Ministry on Wenesday.

Some of the trafficking victims returned to Bangladesh after suffering the ordeals and the others were in Cambodia in miserable conditions, said EWOE Ministry officials.

Brokers allegedly collected visit visa stamps from the Cambodian embassies in India, Singapore, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Australia and hired the workers of Bangladesh alluring them with good jobs in Cambodia, they said.

At one stages, the brokers realized ransom money from the victims’ family in Bangladesh by torturing them, the report said.

A three member team led by Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment ministry joint secretary Jahangir Alam visited Cambodia from February 16 to 21 to investigate the matter.

The team found that Bangladeshi national Moin Uddin and Singapore national Khoo opened a construction company called EC Builders in Cambodia and recruited over 100 workers from Bangladesh with Sticker/Stamp visas showing them as tourists, visitors and businessmen.

As owners of the EC Builder failed to provide the workers legal documents, the workers lodged complaints to Cambodian police who shut down the company’s office, said the probe report of the EWOE Ministry.

Victims Pangkaj Biswas, Rabindranath Kundu, Zakir and Mohan informed the EWOE Ministry team that Bangladeshi recruiting agency Port City International Limited owner Abdur Rahman took Tk three to four lakh from each victim and sent them to Cambodia after keeping them waiting for one year.

Hundreds of Bangladeshi nationals in collaboration with Malaysians opened fake joint companies to recruit workers from Bangladesh with false promises, the report said.

The EWOE Ministry team recommended stern action against the traffickers. (Source: New Age)