Bangladesh Image at Stake in
Saudi Arabia
Dr. Abdul Momen (from Boston)
It is now an established fact that the Bangladeshi Community living in Saudi Arabia has lost its image during the last 2-3 years. The image of Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia (KSA) was relatively very high ever since they started to come here in late seventies. When I landed in this holy land in early years, I found in the Saudi Society a sense of sympathy and respect towards all Bangladeshis. They used to consider Bangladeshis as obedient, diligent, hard working, sincere and honest. Their common expression towards Bangladeshi expatriates was-"kullu Bangali koyes"- all Bengalis are good souls. Tariq Al-Maeena, a reputed Arab News columnist once wrote that if you would like to get your automobile fixed at dead of night, just knock the door of a Bangali repair shop, they would do it even at odd hours and with a smile.
Now in 2008, the picture is diametrically opposite. Saudis now consider Bangladeshis to be "Katir Mushkila"- -great problem. Some have gone to the extent that "all Bangalees" should be expelled en-masse. How could this happen? How could a whole community lose its image so rapidly? If one delves into the issue deeply, he would find three major causes:
1. Large scale media campaign against the Bangladeshi Community that incited hatred in Saudi Society against the Bangladeshis.
2. Misdeeds committed by a section of Bangladeshi nationals that triggered above hate campaign in the Saudi media, and
3. Role played by some unscrupulous Recruiting Agencies and officials.
Media Campaign
From 2007, stories on crimes and misdeeds committed by Bangladeshi nationals started to flood the newspaper pages, both English and Arabic. Last month (February 2008), popular Radio Channels like MBC-FM and Panorama-FM aired lengthy programs featuring misdeeds committed by Bangladeshis. People interviewed in the program overwhelmingly expressed their disgust over the Bengali folks and opined for ouster of them as soon as possible. There were few who logically opined that a whole community should not be blamed for crimes committed by a few, but their voice was very dim as compared to overwhelming majority.
Along with leading Arabic dailies, widely circulated English daily the Arab News also took the scope. It went on publishing series of horror reports focusing on "Bengali Crimes" one after another. One of such reports, compiled by Ms. Razan Baker, goes as follows:
"Kuwait instituted a ban on Bangladeshi recruitment last year, citing crime committed by them.' We look forward to the day when we get to celebrate the departure of the last Bangladeshi here similar to what happened in Kuwait' said Khalid Ibrahim, a Saudi teacher. 'We could then say with a big relief goodbye to pornography and alcohol, to our maid stealers, to the rapists of our children, to the counterfeiters of governmental documents, said another 40-year-old Saudi government employee' (Arab News, 19 Feb 2008).
If one carefully scrutinizes the above report, he could easily detect how cunningly and purposely the reporter had tried to malign Bangladeshis! She quotes a previous incidence of Kuwait occurred more than a year ago where some Bangladeshi laborers went on strike for non-payment of their salaries, and links it with Saudi situation to get rid of the last Bangladeshi from Saudi soil. The reader would get an impression as if Kuwait had got rid of the last Bangladeshi; so Saudi should also follow the suit. Fact of the matter is; Kuwait did not throw them out and in fact, there are more Bangladeshis working now then previous years in Kuwait. Does it not seem like a hate and malicious campaign against Bangladeshis?
Let us now check other points of the report one by one.
Rapes- It was reported that some Bangladeshi youths had recently raped a Saudi minor girl in Al-Jubail. Rape is an ugly crime hated by all civilized people and is not bound to a particular nation. Last year, there had been a report in the Arab News that a Pakistani father raped his daughter Zarna who had to take shelter with Human Rights Commission of KSA. This was just an isolated incidence; no way has it proved that all Pakistanis are rapists. There had been a report in the Arab News on May 15, 2005 that 32 cases of incest had occurred in Saudi Arabia in 2004 according to the Social Service Department Record. These are also isolated incidences committed by perverted people who are found in almost all societies. Other than an imbecile, nobody would argue that this report of the Arab News had proved that all Saudis are rapists. Almost 2 million Bangladeshis work in Saudi Arabia. The Al-Jubail incidence was the 1st occurrence of rape committed by a Bangladeshi national so far reported by Saudi news media. Question is; is it fair to label all Bangladeshis as rapists for a single incidence and call for ouster of all of them?
Alcohol- Liquor of any kind is strictly forbidden in Bangladesh as against India where pubs are abundant not only in cities but also in rural areas. Drunkards are despised in strictly conservative Bangladeshi society. You will not find even one in a million who has ever seen this material physically. Even in the metropolitan Dhaka city, other than a limited number of bars mainly meant for foreigners, you won't see much of them. Moreover, Bangladeshi Muslim is forbidden to drink it. It is difficult to fathom as to how the reporter blames Bangladeshi expatriates in KSA as alcoholic or dealers of Alcohol en-masse. More so after coming to the holy land whereas affluent communities like Indians or Filipinos remain far away from this vice although they hail from societies where alcohol is culturally admitted! It sounds not only factually untrue but malicious as well.
Narcotics- Afghanistan and adjoining areas are globally known and considered to be the breeding ground of narcotics. There must be rich and big guys behind drug trafficking to the Middle East, not poor Bangladeshi cleaners and tea boys that earn around SR 300 ($80) a month and hardly get any free time to do drug business. How would ousting these poor cleaners as media claims would cleanse out this vice from Saudi Society? Is it not a very lame excuse and a wrong prescription by few media pundits to evade the main issue of drug trafficking?
Maid Stealers- Stealing a human being from a Saudi household is completely a new term to us. There were innumerable reports in the Arab News on flee-away maids from Saudi households. Filipino and Indonesian Embassies had to arrange make-shift tents for these types of distressed maids. Why does a maid flees or jumps through the window of her Master's house is a matter of serious investigation. Unfortunately, the Saudi media reports portrayed that the wretched Bangladeshis are the real players behind all such happenings. What an invention!! It is up to the readers to decide whether this accusation is true or well orchestrated propaganda construed by a select media. What is the main reason behind such malign and false propaganda? Apart from making further comment on this sensitive issue, we would simply say- any individual caught in heinous act of mistreatment and flesh trade trafficking must be punished heavily irrespective of his or her nationality.
Porn CDs- This is a Hi-Tech business arena where professional IT people are needed to make and market such CDs. To my knowledge, microscopic few Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia might have IT capability since 90% of this community is simply laborers and cleaners. They may be engaged as vendors to sell the CDs to earn few extra Riyals, but the real Godfathers are behind the screen. In order to get rid of this filthy business once and for all, Saudi Government should take serious effort to detect the real Godfathers of this business. Let them investigate who actually invest in producing, copying and marketing such product. Mere blame game to Bangladeshi laborers would not eradicate this vice at all. Another thing to ponder over this issue: actors/ actresses of all porn are invariably of Indian or European origin. Does it imply that poor Bangladeshi laborers made such CDs by hiring non-Bengali actors and actresses at exorbitant prices? Definitely the CDs were made somewhere else, smuggled to KSA and sold in the Saudi market. Question to the media pundits; how then the poor Bangladeshi ajmans (foreigners) are held responsible for this crime? Is pirating of CDs, software, watches and the likes are only due to poor cleaners?
Scrap Collecting- We have seen poor souls (mostly Bangladeshis) roaming around garbage bins and collecting valuable materials like waste cans, metallic garments hangers, etc. and in the process, they help preserve the environment. While normal people would hesitate to approach the nasty and filthy bin, these people are competing with cats to secure a metallic scrap or a can of soda which passers-by might have generously thrown into. Such is the condition of these hapless people even after coming to their dream land; Saudi Arabia. It is not unlikely that some of them might have resorted to stealing man-hole covers, and cupper cables out of greed or poverty. Those that steal such manhole covers must be punished severely. However, if the government investigates who are the businessmen that collect such covers and bans such business, it would have long lasting effect. If the government bans such business, no poor people would go near these bins to collect cans and metallic scraps to sell. May we expect the Saudi press to uncover the true story behind such business instead of blaming these poor expatriates for manhole cover and copper scraps loss? Unfortunately, we hear clarion call from the Saudi media for ouster of the whole community for roaming around garbage bins. Is it not a disservice to the Saudi public and the government by concealing the truth of the story?
Counterfeiting governmental documents- We agree with this accusation that some Bangladeshi criminals are involved in this activity in parallel with other nationals too. These criminals should be dealt with heavy handedly, irrespective of his/her national identity.
Misdeeds committed by Bangladeshis
Common misdeeds committed by Bangladeshis may be summed up by the term "collective hooliganism". There are few organized groups of Bangladeshi expatriates under the cover of association or samity. Not that all samity or associations are bad. However, a few of such Samity have groups of musclemen who are reportedly devoted to prove their strength over a rival group which infrequently results in open clashes in streets, breaking of glass of parked cars, ransacking shops, and also at times, physical assaults. This type of unruly behavior is never seen in case of other nationals such as Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos or Sri Lankan although their number is no less than that of Bangladeshis in the KSA. Recall the killing of a Saudi police by a group of Bangladeshi goons in downtown Batha (in Riyadh), a concentration of Bangladeshi expatriates about a year ago. That earned a bad name for the whole community and the country as well. No wonder, most Saudis turned 180 degree with respect to Bangladeshis since then. It is an irony that that one incident changed the mindset of Saudi people…...those who were vocal in praise of Bangladeshi laborers was deeply shocked and rightfully disappointed. We have no knowledge that the Bangladesh Embassy had investigated the issue and recommended appropriate measures to both the Saudi and Bangladesh governments.
The tragedy is, most of these hooligans are fugitives from Bangladesh. They took shelter in KSA from the criminal justice system of Bangladesh. Once in KSA, they continue their criminal practice. Normal service holders, technicians, salespersons, laborers and cleaners have to go to work early in the morning and return at dusk. They don't have time to be indulged in such criminal and filthy activities. Unfortunately, they become the target and prey of crimes committed by a few. The Bangladesh Embassy that should have taken more serious effort to identify and weed out criminals, unfortunately, neither have expertise, manpower nor resources to play vital role to mitigate such problems. They can make a list of these thugs which presumably would not exceed few dozens and handover such list to Saudi Authority to take care of them. Should there be any Godfather of these thugs, he/she should also be blacklisted and severely punished.
Role of unscrupulous Recruiting Agencies
Consider the story of Judge Miah of Narsingdi, a man of forty who came here as a cleaner five years ago. He paid Tk 3.5 lacs to the Recruiting Agency in Dhaka to buy a cleaner's work visa. His monthly salary was primarily SR 350 ($90) which was increased to SR 500 after two years. He was maliciously allured by the Recruiting Agency that he could easily earn at least SR 1000 every month additional to his regular monthly income of SR 300. At that assurance, Judge Miah was very happy. He sold whatever valuables he had at home, and also borrowed funds and paid the entire amount to the Agency. One bright day with glittering hope of making fortune within years he landed in KSA, the dream land. His hopes began to fade away within months. His salary is not sufficient to meet his daily needs; food, clothes, telephone calls to his wife and similar petty but essential expenses. He cannot save a single Halalah to support his family back home, let alone make good fortune. So one day he left his Company and became a free lancer. He works part time as a domestic servant, washes cars, cleanses shops, collects scraps from garbage bins and does varieties of jobs that he come across. He does not know what wrong he committed; but as per his host country's law, he became an illegal expatriate. There are thousands of such Judge Miahs in the streets of Riyadh and other Saudi cities. They sell betel leafs and betel nuts in busy market place, some sell Porn CDs, some work in construction sites. The common feature among them is; they all are illegal according to Saudi Law. Thus, due to cumulative episodes of hundreds of such Judge Miahs, Bangladeshis have earned a bad name in Saudi Arabia, in Kuwait, in Malaysia, and in other cities. Their national image touched rock bottom. Who is to be blamed for such situation? Their government that failed to provide them jobs at home or their regulatory agencies that could not correctly govern the unscrupulous Agencies or the helpless Judge Miahs?
Visa for the Philippines is free of cost. Moreover, the employers in KSA have to pay the Recruiting Agency of the Philippines handsome amount as fee plus air-ticket for the employee recruited. Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese laborers have to pay very little amount for a visa. Question is; why then the price of a Bangladeshi visa is so sky high? Why then poor Judge Miah has to pay 17 thousand Riyals for a single work visa? Is it because of unhealthy competition of our Recruiting Agencies? We are told that if one bids 10 thousand Saudi Riyals for a visa with monthly salary of SR 500, another would rush to the Saudi employer the next day and would bid 15 thousand with a reduced salary of SR 300 only! The burden ultimately goes to the shoulder of Judge Miahs, who pay the price and roam around in the wealthy streets of the Middle East as 21st century modern day slaves. He has no way to return home as he can hardly collect enough money to pay off his debt that he borrowed to pay the agencies for a work permit. Is he a bonded laborer? And in the process, he loses his wife, his children and his family. What a price he has to pay for a living and to earn home remittance for his country!!
The Bangladesh government officials would boast that the state exchequer has earned so much billions of remittance. They are happy. But who knows how many billions were illegally funneled out of the country in the form of Hundi to pay for the visas abroad? Who knows how many families were separated or broken to earn such lucrative home remittance? Who knows how many young blood has gone into oblivion?
However, it is not true that all Recruiting Agencies are corrupt and immoral. Definitely, many are pioneers of the Manpower Industry that generates so many billions for the poor country. They transformed burden of excess manpower into a national asset. They explored newer and newer avenues abroad and exported our youths and manpower earning larger and larger foreign cash. Home remittance is now the major net earner of foreign exchange for Bangladesh. But the tragedy is; the glorious achievement made by the sector in last two decades is going to be totally damaged by misdeeds of a microscopic few unscrupulous greedy Agencies. Who are those people is not difficult to identify. In fact, Bangladesh government officials know them, the embassy officials know them. Even the BAIRA knows them. Will they ever come forward to list and stop the evil practices of these demons that are sure to destroy this lucrative industry and would hamper the best source of foreign exchange earnings of Bangladesh?
Saudis are hard and intelligent people. They are not as forgetful a nation as the Bengalis that even basically pardoned their criminals of ˜crime against humanity" and criminals of the liberation war of 1971. No wonder, Lord Hastings, the conquer of Bengal in his testimony stated that 'Bengalis are the most forgiving nation'. In contrast, many jokingly call Saudi people as 'non-erasable memory' that never dies or erases. If anything once entered into their mindset, it is hard to remove. The negative image constructed may only be removed by sincere and collective effort by all Bangladeshi nationals and agencies; the Bangladesh government, its embassy officials, its Recruiting Agencies and the expatriate Bangladeshis living in Saudi Arabia. Unless a concerted and vigorous effort is made forthwith by all concerns, Saudi Arabia, the home of 2 million Bangladeshi expatriates, the main source of home remittance could turn into a no man's zone for the Bangladeshis in near future!
__________
* Dr. Abdul Momen, a professor of economics and business management of Boston (USA) worked as an Economic Advisor in Saudi Arabia for few years during late 1990s and early 2000s.
>From: "junaid.sultan" <junaid.sultan@yahoo.com>
>Date: 2008/03/20 Thu AM 06:09:54 CDT
>To: alochona@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [ALOCHONA] Re: Middle East Labour: Recruiting agents blamed
>
>
>
>Dear Mr. Ejazur
>I had not intention to indulge in arguments with you but to me the writing like these are very disturbing and I quote" </FONT><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt;">Perhaps, you have forgotten that during the BNP government a thousand labourers attacked and ransacked the Bangladesh Embassy in Kuwait. <B><U>Another great record for our proud nation</U></B>. 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:<BR><SPAN> </SPAN>How do you feel about Hasina and Khaleda as PM again?<BR>What price is worth paying to be rid of Hasina and Khaleda?<BR></SPAN><FONT face="Calibri" size="3">I unquote.
>I quote another one." </FONT><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt;">The departure, or demise, of Hasina and Khaleda will expose AL and <SPAN> </SPAN>BNP for what they really are... Third rate parties lead by third rate people<B><U> - in a third rate country</U></B>."
>And I unquote again.
>Is not this tantamount to insult to the nation? No sensible man or woman in Bangladesh will claim that we are first rate country because we are not. But under no circumstances, we call ourselves a third rate country.
>Mr. Ejazur, for you it may be important to step into and stay in manure to understand its texture, smell and composition. Otherwise a common man knows these qualities of manure. Come on, we are not interested to know the details what happened in Bangladeshi Embassy in Kuwait. We are interested to know why it happened, we are interested to know how it can be avoided in future. You have pointed your fingers on AL. This should have been investigated or still can be investigated if there is any substance in this allegation. Or, you are saying this out of your political believes. We understand that Kuwait is Kuwait. You are not in Bangladesh where you can hire one thousand goons (you gave the number) and buses to storm a place.
>I know you are an authority on Kuwait and nobody can lecture you on Kuwait. But don't try to give us the impression that nobody else know about Kuwait. Even on the net you will find many charity organizations in that country. There are good and bad people in all societies. Do you want us to believe that Kuwaitis themselves will let 500 labourers to starve in their country? It is really commendable and appreciable for your group for their contribution of one month's salary. This is lot of money. (Now we know you are spearheading a group).
>I agree that many NRB's went back to the country. But who are they. They are again those poor labourers from Middle East. There are very few people and you can count them on your finger tips that came from West with a desire to work for the country. We, in Bangladesh, salute these people though I understand that these people were not awarded with the due respect. People like you, living in Middle Eastern countries will come back only when they will be asked by their employers to leave. And in lot many cases most people working in the Middle Eastern countries have their families settled in Canada or Australia. Tell me honestly, do you have the right to call for the price of getting rid of Khalda and Hasina. Especially from a worker in Saudi Arabia whose job is already at stake. We understand your position. We understand it is extremely difficult to leave your job. But don't lecture others to do what is difficult for you to do.
>Mr. Ejazur, it is not at all necessary to write a song to show your patriotism. It is not necessary to listen to patriotic songs day and night to be a patriotic. However, it is worthy to note when you are ashamed of your surroundings. Who is around you – your family, your motherland? Are you ashamed of them? As a third world country (I said third world country not third rate country) don't we know our limitations? What makes us so ashamed?
>A man is known by his virtues and not by his physical disability. This, we have learned in our elementary school.
>With all my regards
>
>Junaid
> 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.<BR>> <BR>> 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 <BR>> million patriotic songs with no sense of shame about what goes on <BR>> around us.<BR>> <BR>> We have to scream SHAME! SHAME! louder to be heard in a room full of <BR>> pride and arrogance and ignorance and patriotism. And with Bengalis <BR>> we have to provoke and offend and disturb – not just shout.<BR>> <BR>> The far corners of the West and the remote corners of Bangladesh are <BR>> littered with the broken dreams of NRBs who went back to Bangladesh <BR>> 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. <BR>> <BR>> 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<BR>> > and Hasina. I bet they will not. As somebody rightly said in the <BR>> past,<BR>> > they are paper tiger only.<BR>> > <BR>> > 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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