'Probash' Submits Memorandum to Foreign Ministry Demanding Safety and Justice for Expatriates

A Bangladeshi expatriate rights organisation, 'Probash', has submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanding that the safety, rights and justice of Bangladeshis living abroad be ensured. The memorandum calls for stronger protection for migrant workers, investigations into allegations of abuse, and coordinated action by the authorities concerned to help Bangladeshis in distress overseas.

On Sunday (25 October) at 12:30 pm, the organisation held a human chain in front of the National Press Club. Afterwards, the memorandum was submitted at the foreign ministry.

Addressing the human chain, the organisation's convener, writer and filmmaker Mostafa Monon, said the government must ensure that Bangladeshi workers facing trial abroad receive justice.

The organisation's member secretary and activist Ananda Kutum presented a startling figure at the human chain. He said 980 women workers had returned home from Saudi Arabia in the past nine months, unable to endure brutal abuse. Some of them, he noted, returned while pregnant.

Ananda Kutum demanded that these women be given state compensation and that their children be ensured state recognition. He also said discussion at international forums is necessary for a lasting solution to the problem.

Physician Trina Islam, a coordinator of the organisation, said it needs to be examined whether the embassies responsible for looking after Bangladeshi workers are playing their proper role.

Journalist Hasnat Kadir, the organisation's media coordinator, said the country runs on the hard-earned money of expatriates. In his words, the country must not turn into a mere consumer of remittances; the state must ensure the rights of all its citizens, at home and abroad.

The human chain demanded proper investigations into the abuse and harassment of Bangladeshi workers abroad, remedies for rights violations, and fair trial processes in cases involving severe punishments such as the death penalty.

Speakers said ensuring the safety and legal protection of migrant workers, who contribute significantly to the country's economy, is the responsibility of the state. When a Bangladeshi citizen falls into danger abroad, providing legal and consular assistance, along with diplomatic initiatives as the situation requires, is essential, they said.

'Probash', formed to protect expatriates' rights and to conduct legal aid, training, research and public awareness activities, said the same memorandum will also be submitted to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and to the Prime Minister's Office.

The programme, held under the slogans 'We want safety for workers abroad' and 'We demand answers for abuse and death sentences', was co-organised by the South Asian Accountability Network for Democracy (SAND), a South Asia-based network on democracy and accountability. The medical research institution 'The Scholaro' was a research partner.