Plight of female migrant workers

The Daily Star on January 13 reported about the horrific plight of female Bangladeshi migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. They were returning home after having endured sexual and physical assault. I believe this is only the tip of the iceberg.

We hope to become a middle-income country soon, but at what cost? We must ask ourselves this question. Do the dignity and values of our citizens not matter? In the name of earning foreign currencies, we have exposed our citizens to horrific exploitation and abuse.

Why is it that we still have not been able to ensure our women migrant workers' safety in a foreign land? It is high time that the government took seriously the issue of ensuring fair wages and humane treatment of our female migrant workers overseas.