Embassy in Brunei: Expat ministry opens probe into beating up of a man
The expatriates’ welfare ministry has launched a probe into an incident in which people beat up a Bangladeshi manpower broker inside the Bangladesh High Commission in Brunei on August 21.
A ministry statement issued yesterday said it decided to take necessary action following proper investigation into the untoward incident. The statement did not elaborate what had happened.
The decision comes after a video of the incident went viral and drew questions as to how someone could be beaten up inside the high commission.
The video, seen by this correspondent, shows five to six people taking turns in punching, slapping, and kicking the man next to an official at his desk.
The official appeared to be supporting and instructing the assault.
Contacted, Jelal Hossain, first secretary (labour) at the Bangladesh High Commission in Brunei, said he was attending a conference in Dhaka when the incident happened and since a probe has been initiated, he would not comment.
However, a source at the high commission said the man beaten up was Kamrul and the official sitting at the desk was Abdullah Al Rashid, an administrative officer.
According to another high commission official, who did not want to be named, there were a number of manpower brokers causing trouble in the labour market in Brunei, home to some 30,000 Bangladeshi migrants.
These brokers, in connivance with a section of Brunei immigration officials, secure work visas and hire workers from Bangladesh. The migrants pay Tk 300,000 to Tk 700,000 to get over there with jobs.
However, a large number of them find themselves jobless after reaching the country. Even if they find jobs, the brokers take a huge cut from their wages, the official said.
“Such irregularities have been going on for quite a long time,” the official told The Daily Star over phone yesterday.
Kamrul was a manpower broker who helped some Bangladeshis get to Brunei a few months ago but they got no jobs. The workers went to the high commission recently to file complaints.
The official said Kamrul was called in and after several attempts to bring him in, he went to the high commission on August 21 when the complainants were present.
At one stage of the altercation, the complainants beat up Kamrul, the official said.
The official did not want to comment on the officer present at the scene.
Kamrul filed a case with the local police station after the incident.
Police detained eight Bangladeshis for beating Kamrul up.
The eight were released from the police station the next day following a request from an associate of Kamrul.
Kamrul had been hospitalised, but details of his injuries could not be known.
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