Deceived Expats in Prison While Fraudsters Roam Free

83 foreign return expatriates have been jailed for allegedly tarnishing Bangladesh's "image" abroad. They have been deceived and protested against their 'crime' but no action has been taken against the fraudulent brokers.

Of the 83 people sent to prison on Tuesday, 81 returned to Vietnam. And the two returned from Qatar. They were kept in the quarantine center at Diabari in Turag, Dhaka, for 14 days before being sent to jail. However, another 25 people from Vietnam have been released.

On August 18, 106 people came to Bangladesh from Vietnam on a special flight. After that, they were taken to quarantine center.

No specific case has been registered against the 83 returnees, who have been arrested under Section 54. However, a general diary has been filed against them at Turag police station. It said the expatriates were convicted of various crimes and detained in foreign jails. They have tarnished the image of Bangladesh there.

''They can also get involved in various crimes inside Bangladesh.'' The GD further alleged that after their arrival in the country, they were sitting in the quarantine center planning group-based anti-state and anti-government activities, destructive activities and programs. If released or granted bail, they could flee the country and become involved in robbery, murder, domestic violence and militant sabotage.

However, Raju Ahmed, one of the 25 people who were not jailed for the allegations, said, "None of us in Vietnam were involved in any crime. I was not in jail either. Our crime, we went to the Bangladeshi embassy in Vietnam to report the fraud. Some of us took up position on the street in front of the embassy. Some strongly protested. 81 of us have been selected and sent to jail. Sitting in the quarantine center, we were anxious to know when we would leave and go home. ''When did we plan anti-government activities? "

He complained that he went to Vietnam seven months ago with four and a half lakh rupees. They also had a BMET card. Even then, they did not get any job or work. In addition, they were kept together in small rooms and tortured without having anything to eat. Those Bangladeshi brokers are still in Vietnam. The embassy knows them. "Innocent expatriates were sent to jail after returning to the country without arresting the fraudulent brokers," he said. ..What could be more unjust than this?" he added.

Ismail Hossain is one of those who have been sent to jail. His wife Faiza Begum said, "We lost money, my husband also went to jail." At the end of the quarantine, he was supposed to come home on the 1st September. But after hearing the news of him being sent to jail, our mother-in-law fell ill."

"My husband was fine in the country," she said in a tearful voice. ''Seven months ago, he went abroad after spending four and a half lakh rupees at the temptation of a broker. Didn't get any job there. He had already sent me a video of him being tortured for not working. During these seven months, I was in big trouble with my two children. Now the husband was sent to jail. To whom will I get justice? How do I get my husband free from here?"

Turag police sub-inspector (SI) v has made a GD against the expatriates. He is investigating the GD. "It is suspected that these expatriates were sitting in the Diabari quarantine center and planning anti-state and anti-government activities," he claimed. I got this information from a secret source. So we arrested them and sent them to jail under section 54. "Asked what they were planning, he said," It will be known in the investigation. I don't have any more information. "

The OC said, ''When I called Shafiullah, he said,I know that he has been detained under section 54." I don't know anything other than that. The investigating officer of the case (SI Md. Anwarul Islam) knows everything. "

The Law and Arbitration Center (LASC), a human rights organization, is providing legal assistance to these expatriates. Abu Ahmed Faizul Kabir, ASK's senior coordinator, said they were preparing for their bail application on Tuesday. But they were sent straight to jail without appearing in court. Bail will be applied in a day or two. "219 expatriates from different countries in the Middle East have been sent to jail on the same charges as against these 83," he said. ''This time only the name has been changed. And all the complaints are the same. No change."

A total of 219 expatriates returned to the country last July, including 141 from Kuwait, 39 from Qatar and 39 from Bahrain. They were pardoned for various crimes and sent back to Bangladesh. Although various countries in the Middle East pardoned them, the Bangladeshi police sent them to jail

And no expatriate welfare minister or secretary was available to talk about all these issues. However, officials said that the expatriates had to face the consequences of protesting in front of the Bangladeshi embassy in Vietnam. Earlier, the foreign minister accused some expatriates of trying to occupy the Vietnamese embassy.