The New Nation - Internet Edition

In the post '71 period the newly independent Bangladesh has seen the culture of people leaving the homeland for the allures of foreign wealth and the material well-being that is sure to follow in its wake. Till date thousands of ignorant but honest village simples dream of elevating their lots and changing their fates by this means. The commonest destinations are countries of Middle East, Europe and Malaysia, China, Korea and Japan. These migrants contribute half of the total remittance (nearly 6.5 billion USD) that Bangladesh earns annually. However, in most cases the majority who attempted to go out of the country have become victims of fraudulent middlemen belonging to the 'man power business' and in the process have lost even what they possessed

At 42, Mujibur Rahman from Kishorgonj District yearns to go to Dubai as an unskilled labour. His one dominant dream at present is to earn BDT 25,000 per month as promised by the recruiting agent. A share-cropper with four daughters and a wife Mujibur feels confident that he can change his destiny on the soil of a foreign country. This is no spur of the moment decision on Mujibur's part. In 2007 he had planned to go to Saudi Arabia but his attempts had ended in failure. His next target was Dubai and to pay BDT 20, 000 for the visa he didn't have to only cash in his savings but also mortgage his land and borrow money from relatives.

As the time for departure nears on one hand are Mujibur's dreams of securing his family's financial well-being while on the other are his fears that constantly plague him: what if he is not allowed to board the plane, what if for some reason he is caught by the Dubai police and sent back, what if he doesn't get a good job. What will happen to his family? How will he repay the loans? Yet the mirage still beckons him just as it has beckoned thousands before him. And like them he also wants to take a chance and find out what fate has in store for people like him.

Photos: Amdadul Huq / DrikNEWS

Text: Humaira Fatima / DrikNEWS