The NGOs — Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) sent the joint report to the UN Committee on Protection of Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW) early this month. We are deeply troubled by the report and the inaction of the High Commission officials in Singapore and Labour Ministry in Dhaka when over 160,000 Bangladeshi people are working there and most of them in trouble. They are held like bondage labour and migrant debtor.
It is appalling that the UN committee in its meeting in Geneva next month will review the Bangladesh government’s commitment to protecting its migrant workers under International Convention. But our government appears not seriously in touch with such development when the High Commission officials are living luxurious life with expatriates money. We are dismayed by the indifference of the government in the given situation and demand immediate remedial measures in aid to our workers.
The HOME has claimed it has provided legal aid, employment advice and financial assistance to 776 Bangladeshis, while TWC2 provided services to 2,834 in last two years. They have raised valid concerns as to why the Bangladesh government is failing to fulfil its obligations, although the High Commission officials claim they giving some services such as visiting prison and helping detainees to write referral letters to Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower in the event of a labour dispute. They are also monitoring their living condition at dormitories. But the NGO reports largely tell us different stories.
The report said workers are victims of forced labour in defiance of the set rules by International Labour Organization (ILO). They are vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse, deception, restriction of movement, isolation, retention of passports, identity documents, detention against their will, withholding or under payment of wage etc, These are extreme forms of exploitation.
The Straight Times recently carried a news item detailing how employers and recruitment agencies are exploiting Bangladeshi workers against their will knowing their position highly vulnerable that they have no strength to protest. Bangladesh government and its High Commission is almost doing nothing to come to their rescue.
It is like slavery, as workers require working from 25 to 51 months to recover their cost they paid to recruitment agents. Bangladesh High Commission knows it but not doing anything to control excessive recruitment fees. We know most government leaders and party men are engaged in manpower business. But we can’t abandon our workers unprotected abroad.
