Again, I will not disagree with Mr. Ejazur though what he wrote is not the whole truth. However, to me it really does not matter who was in the bathroom and who was without his shirt. Also my intention is not to portray one political party as savoir and other as villain.
Back to the problems of Bangladeshi manpower in Middle Eastern countries, I will not put all the blame squarely on the recruiting agents. Government is equally responsible for keeping their eyes closed. (I mean all Governments including the present one). The last BNP Government made a separate ministry for manpower which, unfortunately, was an eye wash only.
Another big player in this game is the employer. I am talking especially about small establishments or individuals who hire the unskilled labors. The employer in his country requisitions to his Government and obtains Government permission for visa for certain no. of employees. The recruiting agents complete the formalities and the worker is exported to his place of work. (How much the worker pays to reach there is mentioned in my first writing). Now a worker can be a legal worker only if he posses a work permit. In lot many cases, the employer denies or delays the work permit. The employer demands handsome amounts for this. The poor worker has no choice but from where the money shall come. So he is forced to adopt illegal means. Otherwise, imagine a person who spent so much money to come over by all legal means is branded as an illegal. Only and only Government intervention can stop this vicious circle. No Government has done it in the past. The present one has the lame excuse that it came for a limited period of time. (Nobody knows this time period)
I am not an expert like Mr. Ejazur on Kuwait affairs, but decision to export women manpower to Kuwait was another big blunder by the then Government. Some of these ladies got involved in immoral activities but that was enough to spoil the image of the whole nation. Bangladesh, as a nation, enjoyed lot of respect in Kuwaiti society due to the role of Bangladesh Army for their mine sweeping operations after the first Gulf War. Respect to the nation eroded away fast due to such undesired immoral activities of these ladies and some individuals or groups who got involved in some illegal acts relating to visas and passports.
I will not agree with Mr. Junaid and will not suggest anyone to go home what may ever be his position and what may ever the cause is. But on the other hand I will request to the Government to take care of the Bangladesh community especially in the Middle Eastern countries. It is not enough to say," This CTG will not last much longer. The questions are not about the temporary struggles of the CTG. The real questions are:
How do you feel about Hasina and Khaleda as PM again?
What price is worth paying to be rid of Hasina and Khaleda?
These are not words of consolation rather these are adding salt to insult. A common man may not like to see Hasina or Khaleda again as PM but look how much country resources are being spent or rather being wasted to keep these ladies away from politics. Look at the media radio, TV, newspapers, both local and foreign, how much coverage is being given to these two ladies. Mr. Ejazur I am sure that even in Kuwait you have some access to media especially the TV. As if this Government is doing nothing but putting all their energy to get rid of Hasina and Khaleda. Unfortunately, that was also not a complete success. I hate to go to list of failures of this Government, but price of rice was Tk. 10 per Kg. when a deaf was a PM and price of rice was Tk.16 when a limping lady was a PM. The price of rice is around Tk.40 when very handsome very healthy persons like Moeen and Fakhruddin are running the show. Mind it that the buying power of the individual remains the same.
My very passionate appeal to the Government in power is to look immediately into the problems of the expatriate workers, in particular, the workers in Saudi Arabia. There is an image crisis. There are some long term solutions and there are some short term solutions. At least, at least visit Saudi Arabia immediately and meet these workers for reassurance. I know you are not deaf literally but don't give a deaf ear to the problems of poor expatriate worker who are main source of foreign currency for the country. I know you are not lame literally but come forward to console these poor people. And as simple as that if you cannot solve people's problem get aside. Nobody asked you to run the show. If you aspire to stay in power for longer time, leave your present positions and come through elections. You have every constitutional right for that. I think that is the best way to get rid of Hasina and Khaleda.
In the end my advice to you all is that if you can not respect yourself at the least respect your education. Don't make fun of handicaps.
Regards and respect to all.
Saeed
--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "ezajur" <ezajur.rahman@...> wrote:
>
> Come on Junaid. Do we have to still scratch the surface of words?
>
> I never mocked the labourers. I went to the Embassy within an hour of
> the disaster. I know what happened, how it happened and why it
> happened. I know the then Defence Attaché, a Brigadier General, was
> mistaken for the Ambassador and beaten up. I know the then Defence
> Attache's office was mistaken for the Ambassador's office and totally
> ransacked. I know the Ambassador, a political appointee and current
> BNP grandee, was hiding in his office. I know the Sonali bank
> reprentative saved the Ambassador by barricading the door. I know the
> then Counsellor was hiding in the bathroom and took his shirt off to
> appear as one of the labourers and save himself. I know which
> manpower brokers support BNP and tried to warn the Embassy. I know
> which manpower brokers support AL and paid for the buses to take the
> labourers to the Embassy. I know which journalists support BNP and
> blamed the labourers. I know which journalists support AL and blamed
> the Embassy. I know which BNP officials were sent by the Government
> to investigate the incident and labour problems. I know how they
> deliberately avoided the truth.
>
> To understand the texture, smell and composition of manure you need
> to step into it first and stay in it for a while.
>
> A European priest rallied the expat community in Kuwait to help 500
> labourers starving in a camp. Many nationalities helped. Please have
> a guess as to how many Bangladeshi organizations helped? Come on –
> have a guess? NONE – and there are 150 organisations registered. In
> the end it was only my group at a cost of a month's salary each.
>
> So please – don't try to lecture me on Kuwait.
>
> What do we know? That we are a first class country? I know that too.
> Otherwise I would have taken my heart somewhere else a long time ago.
> Yes we are a first class nation, with first class people and first
> class potential. I can write a love poem to my village in 30 minutes.
> But that doesn't mean we spend all day and night listening to a
> million patriotic songs with no sense of shame about what goes on
> around us.
>
> We have to scream SHAME! SHAME! louder to be heard in a room full of
> pride and arrogance and ignorance and patriotism. And with Bengalis
> we have to provoke and offend and disturb – not just shout.
>
> The far corners of the West and the remote corners of Bangladesh are
> littered with the broken dreams of NRBs who went back to Bangladesh
> to be part of the post independence glory. If we don't know what they
> found and if we don't know how they were treated and if we don't know
> how they were robbed then we don't know the story of NRB's. Some can
> try to win an argument by playing on the complex guilty complexes of
> NRBs – but it won't work on me honey.
>
> I am the `people like these' that you mention. And to think we are
> paper tigers is to underestimate our passion and our commitment. It
> is to underestimate what we have done and we will do to take our
> country back from the demons that have plagued our nation since
> birth. Underestimate us as you want to. In a way it helps us : )
>
> The CTG is NOT to be excused from helping our countrymen in trouble
> abroad.
>
> Make a list of all the female leaders of the modern era and tell me
> which of them are intellectually brilliant and which of them are not.
> Go on! You will find only 3 of them are not brilliant.
>
> One is Winnie Mandela. The other two come from a first class country.
>
> One is limping on one leg and the other is deaf in one ear.
>
> Ezajur Rahman
>
>
> --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "junaid.sultan" junaid.sultan@
> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Mr. Saeed
> >
> > Thanks a lot for your very informative narrative. You have analyzed
> the
> > situation very correctly. Especially, when one gentleman in this
> column
> > was trying to mocker the poor workers who ransacked the Bangladesh
> > Embassy in Kuwait and our "proud" nation. (I think this
> > gentleman has immense love for his country. That is why he calls it
> a
> > third rate country). Thanks again for making us aware the real
> reasons
> > behind the sad happening in Kuwait years ago.
> >
> > The present situation and condition of Bangladeshi workers, as we
> see in
> > the newspapers, is worrying. Lack of initiative by the Government to
> > negotiate and resolve this issue is disturbing also. Some high-up
> must
> > visit and reassure particularly the unskilled workers there. The
> > Government is too busy planning the exit of Khaleda and Hasina but
> these
> > poor people have nothing to do with the politics of Hasina and
> Khaleda.
> > Why these poor people should be made to pay the price to get rid of
> > these ladies. Even to think about it is a crime. Those who talk like
> > this I invite them to leave their jobs, comeback to the country
> (even
> > it's a third rate country) and join the band wagon against Khaleda
> > and Hasina. I bet they will not. As somebody rightly said in the
> past,
> > they are paper tiger only.
> >
> > For people like these, we also don't want Khaleda and Hasina to be
> > PM again. To their beloved Moeen and Fakhruddin let them be the
> > President and PM but we want them to leave their present positions
> and
> > come through proper channels (through elections).
> >
> > Junaid
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "saeedurrehman92"
> <saeedurrehman92@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I agree with Mr. Ejazur but I would like to add here that the
> problem
> > of
> > > Bangladeshi manpower is much older than last 20 years. In fact it
> > > started right from the beginning, in late seventies when
> Bangladeshis
> > > started going to Middle Eastern countries in mass scale. The then
> > > Government did not have a very clear cut policy as a result a
> skilled
> > > Bangladeshi, even an Engineer, was paid less than his Indian or
> > > Pakistani counterpart. If I limit my statement to Kuwait and Saudi
> > > Arabia, initially, a worker could go there with relatively low
> > > expenditure. However, with the passage of time, the export of
> > unskilled
> > > workers started increasing. The manpower exporters, who also
> started
> > > growing like mushrooms, were more interested in exporting
> unskilled
> > > manpower. These were poor people with low educated, come from
> villages
> > > and so were easier to cheat. Imagine, as of today, an unskilled
> worker
> > > has to pay Taka 200,000.00 to 300,000.00 to go to Kuwait or Saudi
> > > Arabia, with average monthly pay of Taka 5,000.00 and a contract
> of 3
> > > years. Due to lack of a straight forward policy by any past
> > Governments,
> > > the sufferings of these poor people kept on multiplying. The
> > Bangladesh
> > > Embassy in Kuwait was stormed 3-4 years back by Bangladeshi
> laborers.
> > > The Kuwait media was very sympathetic to Bangladeshi workers at
> that
> > > time. The Kuwaitis realized that these laborers are not only low
> paid
> > > but unfortunately not timely paid also. But as usual, the
> Government
> > did
> > > not pay any heed. Some time later a sitting Army Maj. Gen. who was
> > made
> > > ambassador in Kuwait, and who really made some moves for the
> > betterment
> > > of laborers, was removed prematurely because of his alleged
> connection
> > > to AL. Instead, a high profile office bearer of the party in
> power was
> > > made the ambassador of Bangladesh in Kuwait.
> > >
> > > I have narrated all this to explain that all Bangladeshi
> Governments,
> > > the past and the present, are interested only in the remittance of
> > these
> > > poor workers. It is painful to see the present regime is no
> different
> > if
> > > not worse than the previous Governments. It is very difficult to
> > > comprehend why they are following the ostrich policy to the
> present
> > > problems of 1.8 millions Bangladeshi labors in Saudi Arabia? As an
> > > incumbent they are duty bound to tackle the issue. It is not
> enough
> > and
> > > not acceptable to say that the problem was created by past
> > Governments,
> > > we are in power for a short time etc. etc. Perhaps they are
> spending
> > > all their time and energy to get rid of Hasina and Khaleda. With
> this
> > > agenda in mind, they have gone completely out of their senses.
> Mind
> > you
> > > we are not interested in Hasina and Khaleda but we want to
> survive.
> > > Please for Heaven sake; concentrate on the welfare of the common
> man,
> > > though we underatand you are accountable to none.
> > >
> > > Regards to all
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Saeed
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "ezajur" ezajur.rahman@ wrote:
> > > >
> > > > No brother - almost all labour problems have built up over the
> last
> > > > two decades. Perhaps, you have forgotten that during the BNP
> > > > government a thousand labourers attacked and ransacked the
> > Bangladesh
> > > > Embassy in Kuwait. Another great record for our proud nation.
> Rest
> > > > assured that the same attack would have happened under an AL
> > > > government.
> > > >
> > > > This CTG will not last much longer. The questions are not about
> the
> > > > temporary struggles of the CTG. The real questions are :
> > > >
> > > > How do you feel about Hasina and Khaleda as PM again?
> > > >
> > > > What price is worth paying to be rid of Haina and Khaleda?
> > > >
> > > > Best wishes
> > > >
> > > > Ezajur Rahman
> > > > Kuwait
> > > >
> > > > --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, Sajjad Hossain shossain456@
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > But most of the labour problem started since the CTG took
> power
> > > > last year. The Malaysia debacle, the recent Saudi nightmares all
> > > > happened in the last one year. Why you blame AL and BNP. The
> CTG is
> > > > seeing the GHOSTs of these two large parties. I tell you that
> is not
> > > > good symptom. It is time to visit a Psychiatric.
> > > > >
> > > > > ezajur ezajur.rahman@ wrote: Dear Robin
> > > > >
> > > > > You accurately describe the situation.
> > > > >
> > > > > The people who betray our labourers first and then exploit our
> > > > > labourers the most are actually ......?
> > > > >
> > > > > Other Bangladeshis.
> > > > >
> > > > > It is as nasty, ugly, cruel and absurd a situation as you can
> > > > imagine.
> > > > >
> > > > > The Embassies are invariably weak but they are neither the
> cause
> > > > nor
> > > > > the solution of the problem. Can you guess where the root of
> the
> > > > > problem lies?
> > > > >
> > > > > The root of the problem lies with politicians who PROMOTE AND
> > > > PROTECT
> > > > > this situation. You have to mix with the people involved to
> see
> > the
> > > > > truth in all its ulginess.
> > > > >
> > > > > For every one labourer who commits suicide or dies from
> depression
> > > > or
> > > > > hypertension (yes it happens more than you might guess)a nail
> > > > should
> > > > > be buried in the coffins of our most renowned politicians.
> > > > >
> > > > > Watch the AL and BNP writers.....
> > > > >
> > > > > They know that AL and BNP MPs work hand in hand with
> recruiting
> > > > > agents - cheating and ruining our labourers.
> > > > >
> > > > > But they will never talk about it.
> > > > >
> > > > > Why? Because they are clueless cowards who think that
> attacking
> > the
> > > > > CTG absolves them of their own responsibility and their own
> guilt.
> > > > >
> > > > > Have a grown man fall at your feet crying hysterically
> because he
> > > > was
> > > > > cheated by a man power agent who was protected by an MP...
> Then,
> > by
> > > > > God, you will feel some of the hatred that I feel.
> > > > >
> > > > > Maybe hatred solves nothing. But the lack of hatred gives
> these
> > > > > people all the scope they need to do what they want.
> > > > >
> > > > > The departure, or demise, of Hasina and Khaleda will expose
> AL and
> > > > > BNP for what they really are... Third rate parties lead by
> third
> > > > rate
> > > > > people - in a third rate country.
> > > > >
> > > > > What offends us most? My last sentence? Or the weeping grown
> man
> > > > > cheated by his democratically elected MP?
> > > > >
> > > > > Best wishes
> > > > >
> > > > > Ezajur Rahman
> > > > > Kuwait
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > ---------------------------------
> > > > > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo!
> Mobile.
> > > > Try it now.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
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