The New Nation - Internet Edition

Special Correspondent

Inaction of the Bangladesh diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia is blamed for adverse media publicity against migrant Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia some of whom are ill paid and some others deceived by a section of greedy manpower employment agents.

Meanwhile, some interested quarters started propaganda against the Bangladeshi workers there alleging that they are involved in all sorts of criminal activities. There are even web sites through which such propaganda is circulated.

The Saudi English daily The Arab News reported some time ago that a group of exploited Bangladeshi labourers were abandoned by the Bangladesh Embassy there.

According to the report, a particular company recruited Bangladeshi workers for very low wages and after the first month the workers were paid one third of the promised amount. After one month the workers were left to themselves to find their own work and destiny.

Saudi Arabia employs about one third of over five million Bangladeshis now on employment abroad and accounts for about one-third of remittance of foreign exchange by wage workers to Bangladesh. The government is learnt to have been planning to send two 4-member teams to Malaysia and Dubai next month to investigate the affairs of the recruiting agents, but no such team is being sent to Saudi Arabia that employs the largest number of Bangladeshi workers.

The propaganda is so motivated and dangerous that the other day even the Arab News published an article which said, "It is unfortunate that our media has focussed on the misdeeds of a few to tarnish the image of a whole group of hard working expatriates who are performing vital services across the Kingdom."

When contacted the Director General (Saudi Arabia) of the Foreign Office told the New Nation that the matters relating to problems faced in sending expatriate workers there had been settled. At one point several months ago the Saudi authorities had stopped issuing visa to Bangladeshis because of adverse campaigns made by some groups. He said following the recent visit to Bangladesh by a Saudi Minister the matter has been resolved and Saudi visa is now being issued as normal.

The secretary, ministry of expatriate welfare and manpower employment, Abdul Matin Chowdhury said that the government has taken initiatives to stop the adverse propaganda being perpetrated by some interested quarters. He said that the web site www.anti-rate has been closed down, and contacts are being maintained to make sure that adverse propaganda stops.

The manpower employment secretary said steps have been taken to publish stories narrating the points of view of Bangladeshi workers in Saudi newspapers. He said that the government has reached an understanding that the whole Bangladeshi community there would not be blamed for crimes committed by a handful of people.

According to the International Labour Organisation, (ILO) "The Saudi Minister of Labour way back in 2002 signed into law new labour rules that allow workers in Saudi Arabia - both national and foreign - to establish committees to guard their interests at workplaces where 100 or more are employed." The Migrant workers rights have been recognised by the Saudi Arabian Authorities.

The pertinent question is, whether the Bangladesh mission in Saudi Arabia is aware of this development. Most possibly not. Otherwise, mission officials could have taken up cases of the deceived migrant workers instead of abandoning them from time to time. Mission officials should also tell Banladeshis working in Saudi Arabia that they can take advantage of the law to safeguard their legitimate rights against manipulations of a section of greedy manpower agents.