12 women return from KSA after being ‘tortured’

Twelve women who went to Saudi Arabia to work as house helps about six months ago returned to Bangladesh penniless yesterday after "being subjected to torture".   

"Arrest them all. They tortured us inhumanly," one of the women was making this call to law enforcers at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the evening upon her return.

The 12 were able to return following efforts by the Airport Armed Police Battalion (AAPBn).

MH Trade International, a recruiting agency, had sent them to Saudi Arabia.

"They [employers] beat us with whips and iron roads. They hardly gave us any food. We were given only some rice and cabbage after a day or two," said the woman to AAPBn officials.

All the women complained that they were tortured in Saudi Arabia both mentally and physically, Ziaul Haque, additional superintendent of police at AAPBn, told The Daily Star.

He said they started working on bringing the 12 women back home after the husband of one of them complained that he could not contact his wife since she reached Saudi Arabia.

The man alleged that his wife was abused both mentally and physically. He also complained about the recruiting agency and sought assistance from the AAPBn for bringing his wife home.

After receiving the complaints, the AAPBn intelligence team started working on the matter, said Ziaul.

He said that they contacted the recruiting agency and enquired its officials about the allegations. "We also wanted to know about the whereabouts and the conditions the women were in."

Soon after the interrogation, the recruiting agency shut its office and its employees went into hiding, the official added.

"The [recruiting] agency later started the process to bring the 12 women home hoping that they would be able to avoid legal complications."

Ziaul further said that they were trying to convince the women to file a case against the recruiting agency.

This newspaper could not reach the officials of MH Trade International for comments.