Those who are trying to leave the country in illegal way will be brought under punishment along with the middlemen involved in human trafficking, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has warned.
The PM made the warning while addressing a meeting of the senior officials of the Labour and Employment Ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday morning, reports BSS.
"I think such an unlawful trend may be stopped if the fortune-seekers who are moving from the country in illegal way are punished side by side with the middlemen," she said.
Hasina asked the Labour and Employment Ministry to carry out campaign on stopping the illegal migration and human trafficking.
Pointing at State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu, she said: "You will have to conduct publicity and campaign so that the migrant people don't need to give money to the middlemen for going abroad in illegal way and doing this work, they are falling into a trap."
The premier said those who are moving from the country by drifting in the sea have no idea where they are going. "Dead bodies are being found from the forests and jungles...it is very unfortunate," she said.
Despite various government steps for sending Bangladeshi workers in legal way, she said, such kind of people are moving to an uncertain destination after giving a huge amount of money to the middlemen.
"It's not true that everybody is moving in this way for want. They are in fact running after 'golden deer' as they think they would earn huge amount of money if they can go abroad," she said.
The PM said such type of people are becoming 'mentally sick' while moving to other countries in illegal way in search of money.
"They are dying or their life become uncertain," she said.
"They could lead a better life if they do something through the money they are handing over to the middlemen for going abroad in illegal way," she opined.