In the last two years, over 50 people from Gangni upazila of Meherpur seeking jobs abroad have gone missing on their way to Malaysia. Their families, not knowing if they are alive or dead, are passing a dreadful time.
It is being feared that the missing job aspirants were thrown overboard or killed by the traffickers for not being able to pay for their illegal passage to Malaysia by sea. Struggling to make ends meet, the families are still waiting for their missing loved ones.
Over the years the business of sending workers to the Middle East and several other countries seem to have gradually turned into human trafficking. Like in many parts of Bangladesh, human trafficking is increasing in Meherpur.
With such rural areas like Meherpur not having many job opportunities to offer, the youths of lower and lower middle class families in these areas are easily manipulated by human trafficking brokers. The youths are selling off their lands and belongings to pay the brokers for the illegal passage to Malaysia.
The trafficking rings are active in over 60 villages of the upazila. They are using lucrative jobs in Malaysia as bait and making the youths pay for the opportunity with hundreds of thousands of taka, and at times with their lives.
An investigation by Dhaka Tribune and Bangla Tribune identified the missing as Ajit Ali, Minarul Islam, Lalon Mia, Ahsan Ali, Zakirul Islam, Wasim Ali, Zia, Rustom Ali, Asadul Islam, Minarul Islam, Jahidul Islam, Jinnat Ali, Ariful Islam, Rifa, Babul, Gonjer, Ahad Ali, Amzad Hossain, Habibur Rahman, Mahabul, Anarul Islam, Akhtarul Islam, Abul Kalam.
Apart from them, on October 10 last year, a Mamun of Terail village drowned at sea en route to Malaysia when he was thrown off the boat by the traffickers. Beltu, Aziruddin, and Hafizul Islam of the same village were held for ransom by the trafficking ring. Beltu’s father paid them a ransom of Tk2,30,000 through Bkash to save his son from torture.
Deceased Mamun’s older sister Nasrin informed that Jahid Hossain of Hemayetpur village and Jahangir Hossain of Terail village lured his brother into going to Malaysia. “In the last conversation we had with Mamun, he told us to pay Jahid and Jahangir Tk2,50,000 after he reaches Malaysia,” she said.
Pijer Mandal, father of missing Zakirul Islam of Kharampur, said his son was going to Malaysia through broker Ahmed Ali of the same village. “It has been two years my son has been missing,” he added.
Family of the missing alleged that atleast 15 including Ahmed Ali, Jahid Hossain of Hemayetpur village, Bakhal, Abul Kashem, Bajlu and Kalu of Jhorpara are involved in human trafficking in Gangni upazila. They could not be contacted for a statement in any way possible.
It was apparent that it would be difficult for the local administration to bring most of the human traffickers to book, apart from the small timers. Most were either leaders or cadres belonging to the ruling party, or were under the shelter of such people.
Meherpur District Administrator Mahmud Hossain said: “We did receive a proper complaint of human trafficking. We will take legal actions if we get one.”
Meherpur Superintendent of Police Hamidul Alam said no one filed a complaint of human trafficking.
Gangni police station Officer in Charge (Investigation) Moktar Ali said he is investigating a case of 18 people going to Iraq but has no complaints of people being trafficked to Malaysia.
Dhankhola Union Council Chairman Abdur Razzak informed that there are 10-12 people missing from his union. He demanded that the government find these people in any way possible.
