Md. Tarek Aziz Bappi :
The occurrence of cruelty on Bangladeshi women workers in middle is nothing new. But it has reached an alarming stage in the recent times. Most of the occurrences are happening especially in Saudi Arabia (SA). According to recent government report, there are 2,03,000 women workers working in SA and since 2015, 3% or 6,000 were compelled to come back in country facing various kinds of domestic violence, physical torture in workplaces as well as sexual harassment including rape cases. Almost all victim women do not have well acceptance in their families and nobody being beside them for support when they come back in country. About this, Bangladeshi ambassador to Riyadh Mr. Golam Masih recently said that “in 90% cases, the victim women do not dare to file any lawsuit against her employer and after being victimized once, they feel unwilling to stay at Saudi Arabia and being busy to go back to Bangladesh as soon as possible though there is strict law and Saudi authority is also willing to apply that”.
These women generally being persuaded to go to the middle east with the illusion of getting a decent life and handsome income in decent workplaces like hotels, modern factories,firms etc. But it is now clear from the hearing of the homecoming victims that in most of the cases, at first Bangladeshi passport being snatched from these women so that they can’t get spare from those torture cells through coming back to Bangladesh instantly. Then on the other hand, most of them being appointed in household jobs instead of promised hotels, factories or firms’ jobs which creates the starting of vulnerability, insecurity and as a result they face sexual violence, physical as well as severe mental tortures.
Though these all are happening but the migration of women workers in Saudi Arabia are still growing in an alarming rate, where more 83 thousands women workers migrated to SA just in 2017.
In this circumstance, question raises- why we aren’t making it stop to send women workers to this weird country and why we are pushing our womens towards a clear insecurity? Our government must take necessary steps to make an end of this worst scenario right now. Also, we have to think about alternative labour market for women excluding Saudi Arabia.
(Md. Tarek Aziz Bappi is a student of Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka).
The occurrence of cruelty on Bangladeshi women workers in middle is nothing new. But it has reached an alarming stage in the recent times. Most of the occurrences are happening especially in Saudi Arabia (SA). According to recent government report, there are 2,03,000 women workers working in SA and since 2015, 3% or 6,000 were compelled to come back in country facing various kinds of domestic violence, physical torture in workplaces as well as sexual harassment including rape cases. Almost all victim women do not have well acceptance in their families and nobody being beside them for support when they come back in country. About this, Bangladeshi ambassador to Riyadh Mr. Golam Masih recently said that “in 90% cases, the victim women do not dare to file any lawsuit against her employer and after being victimized once, they feel unwilling to stay at Saudi Arabia and being busy to go back to Bangladesh as soon as possible though there is strict law and Saudi authority is also willing to apply that”.
These women generally being persuaded to go to the middle east with the illusion of getting a decent life and handsome income in decent workplaces like hotels, modern factories,firms etc. But it is now clear from the hearing of the homecoming victims that in most of the cases, at first Bangladeshi passport being snatched from these women so that they can’t get spare from those torture cells through coming back to Bangladesh instantly. Then on the other hand, most of them being appointed in household jobs instead of promised hotels, factories or firms’ jobs which creates the starting of vulnerability, insecurity and as a result they face sexual violence, physical as well as severe mental tortures.
Though these all are happening but the migration of women workers in Saudi Arabia are still growing in an alarming rate, where more 83 thousands women workers migrated to SA just in 2017.
In this circumstance, question raises- why we aren’t making it stop to send women workers to this weird country and why we are pushing our womens towards a clear insecurity? Our government must take necessary steps to make an end of this worst scenario right now. Also, we have to think about alternative labour market for women excluding Saudi Arabia.
(Md. Tarek Aziz Bappi is a student of Department of Political Science, University of Dhaka).
