Dhaka, May 31 – Around 1,000 female workers have returned home from Saudi Arabia in last five months, and many female workers are waiting at safe houses and different jails there for a return to the country. The female workers went Saudi Arabia with dreams and hopes of bringing about changes their fortunes but they are returning with empty hands as alleged physical and mental tortures by employers on them shattered their dream and hopes, said Bangladesh Civil Society for Migration (BCSM) at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club on Thursday.
In a written statement, the BCSM, a coalition of 11 non-government organizations work for migration, further said the female workers are compelled bound to return home as they had to overwork but they were not allowed to go to bad on time, given necessary food and due payment.
Besides, they have become victims of severe mental and physical including sexual harassment by employers and other people in the households and many of them returned home after getting them pregnant, said the statement read out by Rina Roy, director of Manusher Janne Foundation (MJF).
The BCSM demanded the government of providing compensations, proper treatment and due wages to the victim female workers who returned home due to harassment.
It also demanded ensuring the safety of each female worker sent in different countries including Saudi Arabia, compelling the employers and agency people of the respective countries to take responsibility of the victim female workers and children and taking legal action against the perpetrators.
The BCSM statement said many female workers returned home after losing mental balance as they resorted to repression in medieval style like setting a fire, pouring hot water, giving iron-shake on the body, said the statement.
According to BMET statistics, there are 204,729 female workers in Saudi Arabia now which is about 30 percent of total Bangladeshi female expatriates.
It regretted that of the female workers, as many as 4,500 have so far returned home being harassed mentally or physically but Bangladesh government failed to take necessary measures to deal with the situation.
The government has to review as to female workers would be sent aboard further unless their safety is ensured, it observed.
While describing the horrible experiences, some female workers broke into uncontrolled tears and demanded exemplary punishment of the perpetrators.
Marina Sultana, programme director of Refugee and Migration Movements Research Unit (RAMMRU), Saidul Haque, chairman of Warbe Development Foundation and Shariful Islam, head of migration, BRAC, among others, spoke on the occasion.
The BCSM also formed a human chain in front of the Press Club on Protest against of Torture on Female. – Staff Reporter
