Twelve of the 17 undocumented Bangladeshi migrant workers, who were recently detained by the Egyptian authorities, are still languishing in jail there.
The news of their detention came through an email from Second Secretary Rafiqul Islam of the Bangladesh labour wing in Egypt.
Five of the workers – Md Nobil, Billal Patwary, Md Alam and Kalu Mal from Chandpur, and Md Shafiq from Rangpur – returned home on September 23.
Officials of the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board, which deals with the problems of migrants, however, are not aware of their return.
“I did not know the updates,” a director of the board told the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday, seeking anonymity.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Nobil said: “I along with four others have returned home after languishing in jail for three months…My mother paid Tk50,000 for my return.”
Those who are still in jail are Al Mamun, Ershad, Shahin, Shilpi Akter, Faruq, Abdul Hannan, Mohammad Nazim Uddin, Oman Faruk, Nurul Islam Arif, Simul, Hanifa and Hafizur Rahman Sarder.
Shilpi Akter was detained for overstay while Faruq and Hannan were detained for having no visa and passport.
The others were detained while illegally crossing the Egyptian border to enter Libya.
Atiqul Islam, GM of MGH Group, said: “We are trying to bring back the 12 other detained workers.”
On August 5, some 17 undocumented Bangladeshi workers returned home after languishing in an Egyptian jail for several months.
