Staff Reporter :
Speakers at a discussion meeting have urged the government to ensure safety and security of Bangladeshi expatriate workers, including the middle-eastern countries.
They said that about 27,000 bodies of expatriate Bangladeshi workers (both male and female) have returned home in the last 10 years.
This was revealed at a discussion meeting organized by ‘Nari Sramik Kantho (Voice of female workers)’ at the National Press Club in the city on Monday.
The speakers said, female workers are mostly being tortured in their workplaces abroad.
“The Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry has no visible measures to stop such heinous acts of employers of Bangladeshi workers abroad,” they alleged.
They asked the government to ensure safe workplace before sending female workers to foreign countries, including the middle-eastern countries.
“Female workers are going abroad with a hope of leading a happy life. But the reality is very harsh for them. After joining work, steamrollers of tortures are imposed upon them, especially in middle-eastern countries,” said Rahela Rabbani, Director of Karmajibi Nari.
She claimed, “The Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry has no visible measures to stop such heinous acts of employers of Bangladeshi workers abroad.”
Rahela Rabbani alleged that the migrant female workers are being deprived in spite of video viral about their tortures on different social media.
“As a result, numbers of dead bodies of female workers are found return frequently,” she said.
She said the government has failed to take responsible role even after publishing many reports that migrant Bangladeshi female workers are being tortured, especially in Saudi Arabia.
On the other hand, responsible persons of the government delivered insulting speeches about women workers, which is astonishing.
The organization put ahead 13 point demands over expatriate female workers, including complete migration following all concerned international laws, taking quick actions to stop torture on women workers signing treaties between both countries, start help desk containing details about the information of employers so that their families here can be informed quickly about their conditions.
Nari Sromik Jote leader Umme Hasan Jhalmal, Progitishil Garments Sramik Federation General Secretary Kamrunnahar were present, among others.
