Champa, who was sent to Saudi Arabia a month back, said to her brother Al Amin over phone: “Bhaiya [brother] please, save me.” Then, the call got disconnected.
“We sent our daughter to Saudia Arabia in order to change our fate. But now we cannot make contact with my daughter. They might have sold my daughter,” said Rokeya Begum, mother of garment worker Champa, to journalists on Tuesday.
Family of Champa Begum, a ready-made garment worker at Keowa Uttarpara village under Sreepur upazila in Gazipur, is now suspecting that she might have been trafficked to Saudi Arabia.
Family members of the victim told local journalists that Mobarak Hossain, 45, a resident in Kapasia allured Champa offering a lucrative job in Saudi Arabia. He then demanded Tk70,000 from her.
Then, Champa, a divorcee, gave him Tk40,000 in advance and requested Mobarak to take the rest amount of the money after she goes to Saudi Arabia.
On September 29, she left Dhaka for Saudi Arabia. Before her departure, Mobarak took signature of Nabi, brother of Champa, in a white paper saying that the signature was needed for Champa's job.
When Nabi wanted to know whereabouts of Champa two weeks after her departure, Mobarak asked Nabi not to try to find out her.
After one month, Al Amin, another brother of Champa, went to Mobarak, and requested him to give her mobile phone number.
Mobarak then showed mercy and gave him a cell number of Saudi Arabia. At last Mobarak managed to make contact with Champa and heard a shout of Champa which was saying: “Bhaiya [brother], please save me.”
When Al Amin contacted Mobarak to inform him about Champa's hapless condition, he demanded Tk2.5 lakh on October 22.
On the day, Al Amin filed a complaint with Sreepur police station against Mobarak.
Police arrested Mobarak on the day, but he was released later.
Officer-in-Charge of Sreepur police station Asaduzzaman said they were investigating into the matter.
This correspondent tried to make contact with Mobarak, but his mobile phone was found switched off.
