We are all now well-aware of how countless Bangladeshis are frequently cheated and kidnapped by traffickers, and forcibly put on boats in order to extort ransom from their families. That these unfortunate people did not become illegal migrants out of their own free will is something we must keep in mind.
Another alarming message is that many bloggers, or I suppose it is better to call them free-thinkers, are being killed one after another.
The most disgraceful act was when Bangladeshis who went to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia did not come back.
While Bangladesh is overcoming all of its bitter experiences and past odds and is well on its way to achieving middle-income status by 2021, such an unexpected series of events tarnishes the country’s image badly and portrays us as untrustworthy to the global community.
I felt very ashamed when the news about the people who went for Umrah not coming back caught my attention.
Subsequently, the Saudi Arabian government announced that they would no longer allow any Bangladeshi to perform Umrah there because of this issue. This is also very upsetting and unfair for Bangladeshis who are pious and genuinely want to perform Umrah. This sort of tendency discourages countries from legally hiring manpower from Bangladesh.
That is another distressing issue -- we have been witnessing on electronic as well as print media the plight of desperate Bangladeshi migrants and their illegal efforts to enter other countries through perilous voyages by sea.
Myanmar’s navy on April 22 brought ashore another 200 migrants (who they are calling Bangladeshis) found in a boat off its coast. According to the International Organisation for Migration, there are over 8,000 people from Bangladesh and Myanmar presently stranded at sea after being abandoned by smugglers.
This is an international humanitarian crisis, and it is imperative that urgent action be taken to put an end to such a massive scale of human suffering. The only good news that enables us to breathe a sigh of relief is that Indonesia and Malaysia recently agreed to take in thousands of migrants stranded at sea until they can be sent home or are resettled in a third country.
Bangladeshis among this lot are mostly economic refugees who have made huge financial sacrifices for the chance of working abroad, and are quite likely to resist return. The move by Malaysia and Indonesia came mainly as a response to international pressure to save these migrants. And while it is a welcome move, it is merely a temporary fix to a problem that goes much deeper.
That the migrants’ home countries, Bangladesh and Myanmar, did not even participate in these talks is a sure sign of underlying issues. Moreover, Thailand, which has been a safe haven for human traffickers until now, did not agree to take in any of the stranded migrants
But it is vital that these people be brought back to shore as soon as possible and that they are provided immediate care.
Then there are the blogger killings-- another problem that is tarnishing our country’s image. I wonder what global writers and leaders actually think about Bangladesh and its current level of security. But I am sure it is nothing positive.
Writers the world over have urged Bangladesh to put a stop to the killing of secular bloggers and bring the perpetrators to justice. They said freedom of expression is a fundamental right under Bangladesh’s constitution, and writers and journalists who are peacefully expressing their views should not have to fear such violent repercussions.
All of the issues that I have mentioned have battered Bangladesh’s image. Those who want to migrate by following proper legal procedures are likely to suffer because of the recent events.
In order to stop illegal migration, it is important to strengthen vigilance along our coastline. Law enforcement agencies also need to come down hard on human traffickers and put a stop to this practice once and for all.
Lastly, in order to prevent anymore free-thinkers from being murdered, I ask the prime minister to do everything in her power to put the perpetrators behind bars so that Bangladesh is no longer regarded as a country where free-thinkers are hacked to death, but as a nation that allows its citizens their basic right to freedom of speech, regardless of caste, creed, religion, or gender.
