33 Bangladeshis passing hard times in Iraq

An image grab taken from a propaganda video uploaded yesterday by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant allegedly shows militants driving at an undisclosed location in Iraq's Nineveh province. Photo: AFP

At least 33 Bangladeshi workers are living in inhuman condition for the last eight days at an under-construction hospital building in the Iraqi city of Tikrit seized by Sunni insurgents.

Following the clashes between the insurgents and government forces, they have been confined to the building. They are facing shortage of food and water.

Sheikh Sahaur Rahman Belal, one of the victims, told The Daily Star this evening by phone that their Iraqi employer left them in the building and took away their passports on June 11.

The Bangladeshis were working for Al-Iskan Construction, an Iraqi company, from March last year.

Sunni insurgents are now controlling Tikrit, Mosul and some other provinces after their advances since the beginning of this month.

The confined Bangladeshis claimed that almost all local Iraqis left the area and the rebels are now dominating in Tikrit.

However, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said if necessary, the government would arrange their return from Iraq.

He told reporters after a meeting with new executive committee of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies in the ministry.