Misadventurers arrested

The incident is a fresh reminder of how desperate job seekers in the country are being exploited by organised cheats. The recent deaths of 13 Bangladeshi youths in the Mediterranean brought into focus how such unemployed gullible youngsters are lured into taking high risk for a plunge in the darkness abroad. The men arrested in Chittagong had also embarked on a highly perilous journey -- a point made clear by the fact that most of them did not even have passports, let alone any clue as to where they were going. Yet, they had paid between Tk 200,000 to a staggering Tk 700,000 to the racket leaders.

Clearly, such things can happen only when the business of travel and recruiting agents is taken over by professional double-dealers. The association of the travel agents has come up with the startling revelation that the number of the fake travel agents far outstrip that of bona fide ones. This is something the law enforcers should work on.

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Another very worrying aspect of it is that the racketeers have an international network. Bangladesh seems to be a happy hunting ground for them where hundreds of thousands of jobless young men are ready to walk into their traps -- thanks to the poor employment situation in the country.

The problem has to be tackled forthwith. First, there must be strict surveillance over the activities of travel and recruiting agents and those that are working without registration must be held accountable for their illegal business. Second, receptivity must be created among the people so that they become aware of the hazards associated with travelling abroad without authorisation. The hypnotic spell that these young men come under must be broken with hard facts dinned into the ears about the rules and regulations of the countries they intend to travel.

The navy patrol team has done a good job. However, coastal surveillance has to be strengthened to make sure that such trafficking of human cargo through the sea routes is checked effectively.