In October 2022, Riajul Islam Shohag from Mehernagor,
Raipur, Narsingdi, went to Saudi Arabia in hopes of earning extra income. This
young man, who graduated from Narsingdi Government College, had also completed
a pharmacist course before going abroad. He was promised a job in a pharmacy
with a 15-month iqama (work permit) in exchange for paying the broker BDT 4
lakh. However, upon arriving in Saudi Arabia, he was assigned to work as a
cleaner in a restaurant, and his iqama was valid for only three months. As a
result, he became illegal just three months later and has been living as an
undocumented worker in Saudi Arabia for two years.
Shohag spoke with Bonik Barta via WhatsApp, saying,
"I am stuck here. I can't go anywhere at the end of the day. It's just
from the restaurant to the house and back; if I step outside, the police will
catch me and send me back home. On top of that, since I’ve been illegal for so
long, I have to pay a fine of BDT 4.5 lakh. If I get the chance to obtain a
one-year iqama, it will cost nearly BDT 1.5 lakh. I don’t know how I will
manage all this. The brokers have left us destitute."
Shohag revealed that many, including Iqbal Hossain,
Saiful Islam, Rahmat Ullah, and Oli Ullah from Mehernagor, have fallen victim
to fraud. Among these four, Saiful Islam is in the most trouble. After arriving
in Saudi Arabia, Saiful was taken to Taif, where he was promised work but was
kept in a secure place. Initially, the brokers said they would provide food and
accommodation until he found a job. However, for the first 15 days, he received
only one meal daily. Later, he was told an excellent job was available but
would need to pay an additional BDT 1 lakh. Since he refused, he went several days
without food. Eventually, the brokers assigned him to a restaurant, where he
later discovered he had been sold for 2 thousand riyals. He has to work 16
hours daily at that restaurant for a meager salary.
It has been reported that the leading broker in this
network is Al-Amin from Raipur, who regularly travels to Saudi Arabia. His
assistant, Rob Mia, is currently on the run from the same area. Shohag and
Saiful and hundreds of expatriates have lost everything to such fraudulent
schemes.
According to a source among expatriates, brokers gathered
several hundred victims of fraud about a month ago in a secluded mountainous
area in Taif. They were then asked for more money with the promise of securing
good jobs for them.
A broker, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke with
Bonik Barta and said, "Brokers initially use tactics to obtain visas. In
most cases, they do this for financial gain. Many Saudi citizens are dishonest
and greedy, and the brokers exploit them. These Saudi citizens issue visas
under the names of shell companies. Brokers then sell these cheap visas to
Bangladeshis for several times the price, promising good jobs and high
salaries. However, when Bangladeshis arrive in Saudi Arabia, they cannot find
the companies or the sponsors because the brokers disappear after taking their
money."
A lot is at stake for expatriate workers, as these
so-called sponsors heavily control their situation. In some cases, sponsors
make false accusations against the expatriate workers. As a result, these
workers not only fail to secure the expected jobs but also end up being
considered criminals, rendering them unfit to stay in Saudi Arabia.
There are allegations that many brokers bring expatriates
to Saudi Arabia on three-month tourist visas while promising them a 15-month
iqama. After that, they assign them temporary jobs and cut off all
communication. As a result, these workers become illegal after three months.
According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and
Training (BMET), 3 lakh 30 thousand 134 workers have gone to Saudi Arabia as of
August this year. In 2020, this number was 1 lakh 61 thousand 726; in 2021, it
was 4 lakh 57 thousand 227; in 2022, it was 6 lakh 12 thousand 418; and in
2023, it reached 4 lakh 97 thousand 674.
Saudi Arabia is the most significant labor market in the
Middle East. Due to the high number of workers going to the country, brokers
are trapping hundreds of Bangladeshis in fake visa schemes in collusion with
dishonest Saudi employers. Bonik Barta spoke with Sabbir Hossain from Gazipur, Abdullah
from Chattogram, and Khalilur Rahman from Noakhali. Abdullah shared that he
went to Saudi Arabia through a broker named Iskandar Ali from Feni. They have
been victims of fraud, working as illegal laborers in a restaurant in Jeddah
for the past year.
There are many other types of visa fraud as well. Those
who go to Saudi Arabia on personal visas instead of company visas also suffer.
In these cases, brokers initially provide visas for house driving and domestic
work. However, it later becomes clear that the individuals for whom the visas
were obtained do not need drivers or domestic workers. As a result, those who
arrive on these visas end up unemployed. Working elsewhere on such visas is
considered a punishable offense. This is when brokers start a new fraud cycle,
forcing these expatriate workers into hard labor for nominal pay.
Bonik Barta spoke with victim Ahmad Nakib, who sells
Umrah items as a street vendor in Taif's Miqat Sail Al-Kabeer. Nakib went to
Saudi Arabia through a broker named Tamimul Islam Nadim from Ramgati,
Lakshmipur. He said, "Whenever illegal expatriates try to talk about their
situation, the brokers start abusing them. They threaten to beat them and call
their relatives in Bangladesh to issue threats."
Nakib reported that in his case, brokers even contacted
his family and threatened that he would be reported to the police for theft by
nightfall, ensuring he wouldn't be able to get out of jail.
Bonik Barta spoke with the recruiting agency Ujjol
Aviation, which prepared the documents for the fraud victim Shohag. A staff
member named Suman said they only prepare the paperwork and are not concerned
with what type of visa was obtained or what job the individual found upon
arrival. To resolve these issues, one must track down the original visa
provider.
Asif Munir, an immigration and refugee expert, told Bonik
Barta, "Regardless of whether the embassy offers assistance, expatriates
should file complaints there. If possible, they should also report to BMET.
There is a helpline that they should try, even though we hear it doesn't always
help much."
He added, "BMET should investigate these incidents,
and the embassy should conduct its inquiry. It's essential to identify who is
involved in these cases, both in Saudi Arabia and the home country, and
intelligence agencies should also be active in this regard."
Asif Munir believes that "to reduce fraud in the
future, the entire process needs to be brought online. Many are already doing
this in their own countries. An online system can help identify discrepancies,
no matter where they occur."