Woes of our female expatriate workers

Recent reports of Bangladeshi female migrant workers in the Middle East being subjected to physical, psychological and sexual abuse are highly disturbing. Migrant workers recently returned from countries such as Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, have made such allegations -- in addition to those of overwork, confinement within the workplace and lack of weekly holidays. Despite international labour laws on migrant workers guaranteeing their rights, time and again they have been violated with impunity.
Two years ago, our government made certain commitments towards the protection of our labour force abroad but those remain unfulfilled. Among them was the promise of cell phones and local SIM cards for workers overseas to enable them to communicate for help in times of trouble. Another commitment was to establish a Bangladesh embassy in Lebanon -- which has become the major destination for female domestic workers from our country with some 60,000 workers migrating.
The decisions remain to be implemented, with the absence of a means of communication as well as proper authorities to contact in times of crisis, leaving workers helpless in strange lands. The sector also lacks formalisation, with brokers rather than authorised recruiting agencies arranging job visas for the workers.
According to the World Bank, migrant workers in the Middle East have made Bangladesh the world's eighth largest remittance earner. From Lebanon alone, earning from female workers is around $150 million. It is high time that the sector is formalised, with migrant workers being properly trained and sensitised before going abroad, following proper procedure and provided with full legal, social and psychological support when there. We urge the government to take up the issue with the host countries. While they have a duty to protect expatriate workers, our own government is no less responsible for the security and protection of the rights of Bangladeshis working abroad.