Families of the Bangladeshi nationals trapped in Libya are becoming increasingly worried about the conditions of their near and dear ones in the trouble-torn north African country as they do not have any contracts with them.
Talking to New Age, a number of families of the Bangladeshi workers in Libya said that they could not establish any contacts with their relatives in Libya in last few days after the anti-government protests intensified there.
‘I am extremely worried about my son Zahed Ahmed. We could not talk to him in the last three days and do not know what has happened to him,’ said Zahed Ahmed, a farmer of Sylhet sadar upazila.
At least 50,000 Bangladeshi nationals have been trapped by the unrest in Libya.
The anxious relatives on Saturday blocked the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Bhairab of Kishoreganj for around two hours, demanding that the government initiate immediate move to evacuate their near and dear ones from Libya and bring them back home.
Around 100 relatives of the expatriates from Bhairab put barricades on the highway in the morning causing tailbacks, said locals who also joined the protesters.
Traffic on the highway resumed after the protestors dispersed at about 11:30am after Bhairab upazila nirbahi officer Md Khurshed Alam assured them that he would inform the higher authorities about their concern.
The protesters threatened to go for tougher programmes if steps were not taken immediately to save the lives of the Bangladeshis staying in Libya.
Relatives also formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, demanding the government’s intervention for safe exit of the Bangladeshi expatriates.
The government has meanwhile requested Egypt and Tunisia to allow Bangladesh nationals entry and temporary shelter on their sides of the borders with Libya even if they do not have necessary travel documents, according to foreign ministry officials.
They said several hundred Bangladeshis had already reached Libya’s borders with Egypt and Tunisia and that the Bangladesh embassy in Cairo had established contacts with them.
New Age correspondent in Jhenidah reported that families of Bangladeshi workers in Libya from Sailkupa upazila said they could not establish any contacts with their relatives, trapped in the north African country, in last couple of days.
Abdul Majid Sheikh of village Habibpur said his son Rashedul had been working as a construction worker in Libya for last 20 months. On Friday morning Rashedul had informed him that he, along with 500 other foreign workers had been confined in a house without adequate food supply.
He said his son told him that roaming bands of marauders were snatching money and belongings from foreign workers in Libya.
Kamala Khatun, a housewife of village Bakulia in Kaliganj upazila, said her husband Asadul told her over phone a few days ago that they were passing days half-fed or without food in Libya.
In Chapainawabganj town, a few hundred relatives of the workers trapped in Libya gathered in front of the press club on Saturday morning and expressed concern for their relatives. They urged the government to evacuate Bangladeshis from Libya immediately.
Courtesy of New Age
