From Thai jungles to the Mediterranean sea,
Govt plays deaf to fortune seekers plea.
As inaction causes trouble on foreign shore,
Sympathy for the country is no more.
According to a news report European Union is going to introduce harshest visa policy temporarily for Bangladesh as it failed to deal with illegal Bangladeshis stranded across European countries.Back in 2017,Bangladesh signed an agreement with EU to bring back the illegal Bangladeshi emigrants. As the country failed to live up to its pledges, EU is considering to make harder obtaining the Schengen visa,curbing multiple visa facility, prolong the procedure of getting visa and impose tariff on visas for Bangladeshi diplomats.1
In the past I wrote a number of pieces---”Need For A William “,”Governance Crisis: From Local Alleys To Foreign Shores”,”Perilous Plight Of Modern Day Vikings”,”A Loosing Scheme”---on human trafficking from Bangladesh and conditions of trapped Bangladeshis abroad. I share some of the nuggets of old pieces here.
In recent years, Bangladeshis topped the list of boat-riding asylum seekers. According to European Union, 93435 Bangladeshis are staying illegally in European countries. Bangladesh strongly contested the figure. According to Ministry of Interior, Italy, 8131 Bangladeshis entered illegally in 2016 and in the first six months of 2017, 8436 Bangladeshis were identified as illegal emigrant2 & 3.
A survey by IOM reveals that on average illegal Bangladeshis paid more than $5,000 to human traffickers to reach Italy taking a perilous boat ride. Dubai-Istanbul-Tripoli turned out to be their preferred route to reach Libya.Traffickers locked them in Libya for one year and forced them to work in homes and restaurants.3
More recently, Tunisian coast guard rescued 443 Bangladeshis from the Mediterranean sea between May 18 and June 10 of this year4.
Back in 2018,in USA, Texas news papers were carrying reports how everyday Texas border patrol nabbed illegal Bangladeshis while crossing the Rio Grande river. Casting serious doubts over Bangladesh’s trumpeting of its economic achievements.5
Recent addition to human trafficking incident was a Bangladeshi MP who was sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment by a Kuwaiti court for human trafficking and money laundering. Not only that many high ranking Kuwaiti officials were also found guilty in such incidents. This insinuates how far and wide such trafficking racket is stretched6.
But such mass human trafficking through sea all started in 2014. UNHCR in a report revealed that 25000 Bangladeshis embarked on illegal and risky boat ride to reach Malaysia in the first quarter of 2015. And 5400 illegal fortune seekers were detained in various prisons of the countries bin Asia and Pacific region7.
Discovery of mass graves of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis in Thai-Malaysian jungles and sentence of a Thai General did little to beef-up Bangladeshi efforts to curb the incidence of trafficking.
Sending people abroad is a lucrative trade and government recognizes the industry as “man power business”. There is even a ministry to look after the well beings of the expatriates .
Since it is an industry, all sorts of practices, fair and unfair, are going on here no holds barred. People are so desperate to go to their dream destinations , they are even ready to pay more than the required cost. They are poised to work under harsh conditions and to embrace any situation to make their fortune abroad.
A parasitic class was born out of their desire and desperation. This class exploits the vulnerabilities of would-be foreign workers and share the rents with the corrupt politicians and officials.
Inhumane sufferings of the migrant workers are often ignored as long as remittances are kept coming. Unlike the workers from other countries, the Bangladeshi workers do not find their govt on their sides when they are in trouble in foreign soils.
When a govt evades its responsibility about its own citizens, other countries are less interested to take their responsibility, particularly when the country is not paralyzed by problems.
Govt of Bangladesh is guilty of two counts: first, it allows a modern day slave trade in its soil ; second, it disowns its own citizens when they are in distress3.
As tragedy after tragedy strikes on foreign shore,govt, being guardian and protector of the have-nots, has failed to stop human trafficking.Turning a blind eye to such crime only unfolds bigger catastrophe. Other responsible govts will not sit idle when sheer size of the problem causes unease at their countries. Bilateral relations may survive the twists and turns but sympathy towards Bangladesh may diminish. Suggestion for tougher EU visa policy for Bangladeshis is an indication to that direction.
Notes And References:
1 “Bangladeshider Visae Korakorir Suparish(Harsher Visa Restrictions Suggested On Bangladesh) “,Raheed Ejaj,Daily Prothom Alo,August 27,2021.
2 “Bangladesh Under Threat On EU Visa Restrictions “,Dhaka Tribune,June 25,2017.Link here
3 “Need For A William “,Rezaul Hoque,https://rezaulhoque.wordpress.com,July 31,2021Link here
4 “La Semaine Dernière A Mes Yeux(11 juin --- 18 juin)”,Rezaul Hoque,https://hoquestake.blogspot.com/
5 “Governance Crisis: From Local Alleys To Foreign Shores”,Rezaul Hoque,https://rezaulhoque.wordpress.com,January 16,2019,Link here
6 “Kuwait: Bangladeshi MP Gets 4 Years In Jail,Fined KD1.9 M For Human Trafficking”,Ramadan Al Sherbini,Gulf News, January 19,2021.Link here
7 “Cries In The Wood”,Rezaul Hoque,https://rezaulhoque.wordpnress.com/,May 14,2015.Link here
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