While the report that stated how 6,500 South Asian migrant workers, including 1,000 Bangladeshis, died in Qatar in the last decade shows just how deplorable the state of affairs are for our hardworking men and women overseas, it is, unfortunately, not the least bit surprising.
Qatar and much of the Middle East continue to be stable destinations for our migrant workers, but clearly they are far away from being any less dangerous than they were even a decade ago. From allegations of flagrant human rights abuse to outright death, it is a widely held sentiment that the working conditions in these countries are not worth the returns for Bangladesh.
Even though the governments of these countries are most definitely culpable in failing to ensure the basic safety of their expat workers, the primary onus is still on our own government to that end.
From sustaining impossible workloads that lead to physical ailments such as jaundice and even early strokes, to unsafe working conditions, the abuse that our workers have to face is staggering.
A lot of migrants also suffer due to employers of questionable repute who engage them in running illegal tasks and even abuse them in inhumane ways. The illegal practices of recruitment agents also contribute to the sufferings of migrant workers. It has been alleged time and time again that a lot of these workers try to contact our government embassies, but to no avail.
This is gross incompetence on the part of our embassies. Any complaints or feedback, no matter how big or small, from our migrant workers must be taken into consideration.
Bangladesh owes much to our migrant workers, as the cumulative remittance that they toil over has directly led to our long-term development. They deserve far better than the status quo, and it is up to the government to ensure that.