Dream of better life ends in nightmare

Without any licence to run a recruiting agency, they used to send people abroad.

This "agency" mainly targeted unemployed women, alluring them with a false promise of providing a job in Saudi Arabia with a handsome salary.

If anyone fell into the trap, the gang charged Tk 3 lakh from each fortune-seeker for medical tests, visa, and air ticket expenses.

However, once they reached the Middle Eastern country, these migrants had to undergo tremendous torture. On some days, they had to go by without any food. When their families contacted the recruiters, they would ask for Tk 3 lakh to bring them home.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-3) yesterday disclosed the activities of the unlicensed recruiting agency, which has been trafficking women to Saudi Arabia for the last four years.

Based on the complaints of at least four to five victims, a team of Rab-3 arrested five people, including the ringleader of the criminal gang – Nazrul Islam Milon, 42. The four other arrestees are Badal Akan, 40, Helal Uddin, 32, Abdur Rahman Ripon, 38, and Masud Alam, 26.

A Rab team arrested the five on Monday around 6:15pm and seized 10 cell phones, eight ATM cards, three stamps, and Tk 25,000 from their possession, said Lt Col Arif Mohiuddin Ahmed, commander of Rab-3.

"They used to threaten the victims' families and told them not to contact law enforcers for assistance," the commander added.

Following the arrest, a case was filed with Paltan Police Station on Monday.

According to the first information report (FIR), arrestee Ripon has allured one of his neighbour's daughters to send her to Saudi Arabia, telling her that a job will pay Tk 50,000 a month, with food and housing allowances and two-yearly festival bonuses.

On February 3 last year, the victim went to Ripon's office in Paltan. On February 15, they assured the victim to send her to Saudi Arabia to work as a house help.

On October 4 last year, they made the victim's family sign a stamp paper stating that the victim will not return home within the next two years. The expense to send her back will be Tk 3 lakh, including the air ticket and medical fees.

On October 19, the victim was flown to Saudi Arabia on a flight around 5:00pm, reads the FIR.

However, within 15 days, the victim called her family and said she did not get the promised job, adding that her employer was physically torturing her, said the FIR.

The victim's brother told this correspondent that they asked for help from law enforcers after receiving the call.

"I requested the agency to return my sister in exchange for Tk 1 lakh, as my financial condition is not that well. They took the money and promised to return her within 24 hours on January 17," he added.

However, after receiving the money, the members stopped communicating with the family. The victim is still in Saudi Arabia.

Farzana Haque, senior assistant superintendent of police, also staff officer (media) of Rab-3, said the gang has been involved in sending people abroad since 2018.

"During primary interrogation, the arrestees admitted to sending a dozen people. However, we are suspecting that a huge number of families have become their victims. We are now verifying the claims and trying to get the details of other accusations," she said.

"We are also trying to bring the victims home," she added.