Dejected returnees

It seems the frequency of deportation and repatriation of Bangladeshi workers from different countries overseas has increased in recent times. In the extreme cases, not infrequently, job-seekers have even died or ended up in jail. Unscrupulous among the manpower recruiting and travel agents are primarily responsible for their predicament. Actually, the line between the recruitment agency and the travel agency is fast disappearing. What are the licensing criteria and the ground rules for them? Can their businesses legitimately merge with one another? Is there any organisation to oversee their activities?

Jobs abroad are being arranged through private channels more than ever before. The question is whether the job offers are coming from reliable enterprises. The high incidence of job-seekers being swindled has turned the business virtually into human trafficking. Fake hopes are held out and the gullibility of young men is ruthlessly exploited by greedy bunch of operators. Are all the recruiting agents keeping the manpower ministry posted about the deals they strike with external parties?

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Remittances from Bangladeshis working abroad are a mainstay of our foreign currency earnings. Our workers also have earned the reputation of being sincere and efficient; so why give any negative signal to manpower importing countries by allowing rackets to live off fraudulent dispatch of human cargo? What is needed is to find out how and why the workers land in hostile situations and punish the people responsible for their sufferings. It is also essential for our missions abroad to keep in constant touch with governments and relevant authorities in the host countries to make sure that our workers are not discriminated against in any form or shape. Basically, if they come to our embassies with grievances they must be attended to.

The government has to act with a sense of urgency as too many reports on job-seekers' woes are pouring in from different directions.