Minister orders Miraj's proper treatment

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam has directed officials of Wage Earners' Welfare Board (WEWB) in Dhaka to take necessary measures to ensure proper treatment of Miraj Munshi, a Bangladeshi worker who was injured as a portion of heavy equipment fell on his leg in his workplace in Malaysia in March.

He also asked Labour Wing officials at Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur to investigate the incident and take necessary actions, Mohsin Chowdhury, personal secretary of the minister, told The Daily Star yesterday.

The minister's directives came following a report published by The Daily Star on Monday.

Seriously injured, thirty-five-year-old Miraj, hailing from Comilla, had to return to Bangladesh empty-handed without a proper treatment as his employer, Peck Chew Piling (M) Sdn Bhd, forced him to lie about the incident to cover up its fault, and then went back on its promise of compensating him in exchange for “cooperation”.

Jahid Anwar, assistant director (public relations) of WEWB, yesterday visited Miraj at a hospital in Dhanmondi.

“We already sent a letter to Labour Wing of Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia yesterday on this matter,” he said. “On humanitarian grounds, we'll try to give financial support to him though he was an undocumented worker."