Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Deceived in the desert

Bangladeshi fortune-seekers helpless in north Africa
“I came to Libya eleven months ago in a group of 15. At the airport, two men of the agency that organised my work permit and visa in Dhaka took all our passports as soon as we came out of the immigration. We then boarded a bus. In the evening, we reached a big rickety house. Not a single person was on the road. We were given mattresses and asked to sleep there and to wait to start our job.”
“The place was very dirty. We were given khobja (local bread) to eat for the night. During the four months that we waited for starting our job, we were half starved, intimidated and warned of dire consequences if we tried to flee. After four months, as many of us started to get worried about our families, left back heavily indebted for our migration expenses, the two men led us to a factory one day, where we were told we would be working from early morning till evening.”
“A month later, when we asked the factory owner for our salaries, he told us the two men had a contract with him, according to which he would pay our salaries to them only. Two weeks later, the two men arrived at our dormitory and gave us 250 Libyan dinars each, half of what we were promised in Dhaka. The two men told us that the remainder of our salary was deducted for our food, accommodation and agency fees. For the next three months, the men arrived at our dormitory every month and paid us the deducted salary. Then over the last three months, before we fled Libya, there was no trace of the men. We were told by the factory owner, that he had paid the men our salaries.”
Over the last nine days I have been working in Choucha, where 17,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers from Libya took shelter, this has been the most common story I heard.
Most of these workers paid up to Tk 3 lakh to the agencies back home for a job in Libya.
The sad story of most of these migrant workers goes far. Noor Hossain, a middle-aged man from Noakhali Sadar, who spent 11 months in Tripoli, narrated his bitter experience to me.
“We could not complain to anyone in Bangladeshi embassy in fear of harassment because those notorious dalals (manpower brokers) were closely associated with officials there,” said Noor Hossain.
“In the recent official Bangla new year celebration at the embassy, those dalals were the top guests,” he added.
Noor Hossain and many others in Choucha camp told me how the brokers come into play in the entire process of exploitation. They also blamed the Libyan system of visa issuance for migrant workers for the exploitation. They said lack of honest officials at the Bangladesh embassy made the situation worse for the innocent workers.
A chronic shortage of laborers and skilled and semi-skilled workers always prevailed in the oil rich Libya, where, at any time, hundreds of big overseas companies are working on mega projects in all different sectors.
“Whenever a site requires some workers desperately, the Bangladeshi and other dalals are instantly there to sign a deal, because they have the ready foreign laborers within their custody in Libya, languishing in some undisclosed warehouses” said Ashutosh Roy from Shoilokupa in Jhenidah, who spent 2.5 years in Libya working as a construction worker.
How the Bangladeshi workers are initially brought into Libya before their brokers throw them into warehouses is yet another story that stands as “administratively perfect”.
Noor Hossain said false documents are produced in Libya with letterheads from different companies in fictitious names, and then, the documents are approved, as required by Bangladeshi rules, by the Bangladesh embassy.
A vicious cycle of human traffickers, comprising Libyans and other nationals, manage the visas in Libya.
“There were instances when the dalals and their associates added a zero to the number 100 and imported 1,000 workers from Bangladesh, and kept the extra 900 under their custody in derelict warehouses in the suburbs of the industrialized zones,” Abdul Halim, around 45, from Savar in Dhamrai.
As I sat down with a group of stranded Bangladeshi migrants inside a tent, more people crammed in to tell their stories.
“Over the last 11 months, we learnt about the warehouses where hundreds of newcomers from Bangladesh were kept in the most sub-human conditions,” said Noor Hossain.
Mohammad Sobhan from Narayanganj said he tried to call the Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli to inform that their approved papers for the company in which he was supposed to work for US$ 400 did not exist.
“After trying the phone for a long time, an embassy person picked up and asked me to speak in English,” said Sobhan. “I gave up hope and obeyed the dalals thereafter,” he added.
Some of the names of the dalals they mentioned, have their own warehouses across Libya. For instance, ‘Salauddiner godown’, ‘Babuler godown’, ‘Jahangirer godown’, ‘Swadhiner godown’, where hundreds of Bangladeshis were forcibly confined.
“Many of these workers have sold their last belonging back home with a hope to prosper by offering sweat in a country that paid its laborers much better wages than in Bangladesh,” said Noor Hossain. “ But now their dreams have been shattered with Libya going into war,” he added.
While many in the Choucha camp were deeply worried about their future in Bangladesh, I met one man, Mohammad Abdus Samad Mukul, about 50, from Monirumpur in Jessore, who stood firm against all odds. Since Mukul left his 22-month old employment in Libya and fled towards Tunisia recently, he started writing songs about the upheavals in Libya and the ensuing sufferings of Bangladeshi migrant workers there. In the crowded camps every evening, young men gather around Mukul listening to his songs of hope in folklore tunes in his husky voice.
“I want to tell all my brothers here that our sufferings today will bring happiness for our future generations,” said Mukul after he finished singing a song.

 

Courtesy of The Daily Star

Related News

Bangladesh and KSA sign pact for workers’ rights

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia have just inked a labour recruitment agreement, marking the first deal aimed at promoting fair recruitment practices and protecting workers’ rights. Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser, Prof. Asif Nazrul, and the Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Engineer Ahmad Bin Solaiman Al-Rajhi, recently came ... Read more

Poor pay, allowances of teachers affect education

World Teacher’s Day today Shahin Akhter Poor pay-scale and allowances and low social status mark the poor condition of the teachers in Bangladesh affecting the education sector, observed educationists and researchers. They also said that the Bangladeshi teachers were lagging much behind their fellows even in the neighbouring countries in terms of these facilities and ... Read more

Protecting hilsa: 22-day fishing ban begins

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The government has put a 22-day halt on catching, transporting, storing, selling, and marketing hilsa throughout the country. This measure aims to protect the fish during its crucial breeding season. The ban started at midnight yesterday and will last until October 25, as stated in a notification from the Ministry of ... Read more

Road fatalities: 446 crashes, 417 lives lost in September

News Desk : dhakamirror.com In September, a tragic report from the Road Safety Foundation revealed that at least 417 people lost their lives and 682 were injured in 446 road accidents throughout Bangladesh. Among those who died, there were 63 women and 47 children, as highlighted in the foundation’s monthly report released today. In 151 ... Read more

Man’s fatal fall into Ramna Park lake

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A tragic incident occurred yesterday at Ramna Park in the capital, where a man drowned in the lake. The victim has been identified as 55-year-old Wasimul Haq. The police were able to identify him using fingerprint records. According to Ramna police SI Mizanur Rahman, he was discovered unconscious around 6:00 PM ... Read more

Tariff Commission’s size-based hilsa pricing strategy

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC), also known as the Tariff Commission, has suggested setting a maximum retail price for hilsa based on its size. This recommendation comes in response to the unusual spike in prices seen in the local market. On Sunday, the Tariff Commission released a report detailing ... Read more

Ekushey Book Fair won’t happen in December

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangla Academy announced yesterday (28 September), that the previously scheduled dates for the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 have been postponed. In a press release, they explained that this decision was made following a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 21, which indicated that the fair should ... Read more

Working in Bangladesh is quite challenging: CEC

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Election Commission is grappling with a mix of challenges, both seen and unseen, as it gears up for the upcoming elections and responds to various demands, shared chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Saturday. “These hurdles might not be apparent from the outside, but we’re constantly navigating through them,” ... Read more

Travel ban on Keokradong hill to be lifted starting from 1 October

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Great news for travelers! Keokradong hill in Bandarban’s Ruma upazila is set to welcome tourists again starting October 1. The district administration has finally lifted the travel ban that had been in effect for almost three years. Bandarban Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shamim Ara Rini announced the decision today (27 September) during ... Read more

Tree planting campaign to lower pollution, make city more attractive

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Md Shahjahan Mia has inaugurated a tree plantation and greening programme covering 33 road medians, spanning a total length of 31 kilometres, within the corporation’s jurisdiction. Under the “Zero Soil” programme, ornamental flowering trees and grasses will be planted across 28 DSCC medians, while the ... Read more

Krishi Bank ranks third in remittance collection

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Krishi Bank has shown remarkable success in collecting remittances from expatriates during the first eight months of 2025 (January–August). Known as bank for farmers due to its agricultural loan services, this state-owned institution has climbed to the third position in remittance collection from abroad in that timeframe. This notable achievement has ... Read more

North Bay low : Rain forecast for Bangladesh

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Many parts of the country is expected to witness moderate to heavy and very heavy rainfall in the coming days due to the formation of a low-pressure system over the north Bay and adjoining coastal areas, the Met office said in its latest forecast. According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department’s 120-hour weather ... Read more

Metrorail boosts service: Extended hours & more frequent arrivals

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Dhaka metrorail service is set to start operating earlier in the morning and later at night to better serve the growing number of passengers. Service hours will be extended by 30 minutes at both the beginning and end of the day, and the interval between trains will be reduced by nearly ... Read more

22% minors in Bangladesh’s sex trade

News Desk : dhakamirror.com At least 22 percent of victims of commercial sexual exploitation (abuse of a person, or a minor, through sexual activities in exchange for money, goods, or other benefits) in Bangladesh are children, said speakers at an event yesterday. They shared the information at the launch of “Project Shurakkha”, an initiative of ... Read more

WB Reports Bangladesh Heat Costs at $1.78 Billion in 2024

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Rising temperatures in Bangladesh are fueling a surge in heat-related illnesses, leading to the loss of 250 million workdays in 2024 and economic losses estimated at $1.33–1.78 billion, representing about 0.3 to 0.4 percent of Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, according to a new World Bank report. The report ... Read more

Police clearance no longer required for passports

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus announced that police verification will no longer be necessary for obtaining a passport, thereby reducing unnecessary hassle for citizens. “Getting a passport is a basic right. We have established a rule that eliminates the need for police verification,” he stated. While speaking at the opening session ... Read more

Metro rail achieves record 4 lakh daily passengers

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Metro Rail has achieved a remarkable milestone by carrying over 400,000 passengers in a single day. The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which operates the Metro Rail, announced this achievement on their official Facebook page on Friday night. For the first time, Metro Rail recorded 403,164 passengers. The Metro Rail ... Read more

Most people, about 66% think civil servants behave as if they are rulers

News Desk : dhakamirror.com More than 100,000 participants have contributed their responses to reform commission’s online survey 80% of the respondents believe that the administration is not approachable for the general public, according to a survey conducted by the Public Administration Reform Commission. Additionally, 66% of participants feel that civil servants act as if they ... Read more

Former Justice Abdur Rouf dies

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Former Chief Election Commissioner Justice Md Abdur Rouf has passed away at the age of 91. He died around 10:00 am while receiving treatment at Insaf Barakah Kidney and General Hospital in Dhaka, as stated in a press release. Justice Rouf had been battling heart disease, lung complications, kidney issues, and ... Read more

Bangladesh climbed 4 positions to rank 93rd in global passport index

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh has climbed four notches up in the latest Henley Passport Index 2025, ranking 93rd out of 99. However, the number of visa-free destinations for Bangladeshi passport holders has dropped from 42 in 2024 to 39 this year, reflecting a decline in global travel privileges. Despite this improvement in rank — ... Read more