THE number of premature death of expatriate workers in their host countries has shot up as per news reports published on Thursday in a national daily. It said that the growing incidents are taking heavy social cost borne by the migrants’ families and the nation. The report said that over 3,076 expatriate workers died abroad alone during last year quoting the figure released by the Wage Earners Welfare Board under the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry on Thursday. Of them, 693 were killed in road and workplace accidents, 19 committed suicide and nine others were murdered. Others died from other causes.
But the remark of the Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Khondker Mosharraf Hossain is rather shocking. Instead of showing sympathy to these deaths and interest to identify the actual causes of the death of migrants, he had rather down played those deaths as not in excess of average national death rates. He told the Jatiya Sangsad that for one crore people in Bangladesh some 56,700 people die every year while only 3,076 among died 87 lakh migrants last year. In his estimate it is not a too big a figure. The Minister’s remark has dismayed not only the families and the nation, his obligation as the guardian of the expatriate workers has also showed flaws. Natural death at home and death in unknown situation are not the same. We hold the view that the government has the responsibility to identify the causes and alert the new recruits who may be going abroad on work permit to avoid such situation. Contrary to this, the Minister’s hastily remark only showed little respect to people who earned the hard earned foreign currency and feed the nation.
The report specially said, migrant workers go through all kinds of health tests before leaving the country and the question is then why they die so early in their lives. There may be impact of hostile environment, going longer time without job and failing to send money to families or repaying the debts. Otherwise why so many deaths to be there as the average age of the deceased workers was 38 years, the report said.
The Minister claimed that excessive migration costs compelled many of them to work for longer hours and to have poor diets and accommodation and that might be the causes behind migrants’ deaths. He has spoken just ridiculous to justify unwanted deaths. It is regrettable.
Reports said at least 30.44 percent deaths occurred in Saudi Arabia, 16.83 percent in Malaysia and 14.46 percent in the United Arab Emirates. We hold the view that there is a psychological aspect, besides environmental causes. Bangladesh Mission can take care of most of those issues opening counseling windows for workers. But we don’t see any activity of the Bangladesh Mission in saving workers lives. Even it does not lend help in sending the bodies and families had to bear the cost of friends and relatives did it. We ask the government to come forward to save workers in the expatriate’s lands instead of lamenting it as the wishes of God.
