Some 22 Bangladeshi workers, out of 58, returned home from Sudan Saturday after facing immense sufferings as they were cheated by a fraudulent manpower agent.
All the workers went to Sudan in January and February last through Al Purbasha, a recruitment agency in Dhaka. They were also given smart card and Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) clearance.
Earlier 11 workers returned home under arrangements made by the manpower agency while four others fled the workplace last month.
Following the government's intervention, the recruiting agency repatriated them.
Some of the victims said although the recruiting agency promised to give them jobs at a textile factory at a salary of Tk 40,000 per month, they did not get it.
Mamun, a returnee, said, they were employed at a textile factory but they got only Tk 8,000 salary each month.
"When we demanded salary as per contract, the company officials misbehaved with us," he said.
Each job-seeker paid Tk 200,000 to 250,000 to go to Sudan, they said.
The manpower agent also misbehaved with the workers and did not give help them get their due salary, he added. "So we were bound to stop our work in July last".
Al Amin Nayan, convener of the Avibashi Oikya Forum (AOF), an organisation for victim migrants said the family members of the workers sought their assistance for return of the workers.
With the help of the AOF, families of the cheated workers complained to the BMET which later compelled the manpower agency to ensure their return.
Efforts are now being made for repatriation of 21 others still stranded in Sudan.
