710 claim to be from Bangladesh

Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on Friday sent a list of 710 trafficking victims to the foreign and home ministries in Dhaka to verify their nationality.

They are among over 1,051 people rescued from Langkawi island of Malaysia on May 11. Traffickers had abandoned them in the island after holding them captive in a Thai jungle for weeks.

Sayedul Islam, counsellor for labour affairs at the consulate, said the high commission would arrange the repatriation of the victims to Bangladesh after confirmation of their identities.

The mission has gathered personal details of the 710, he told The Daily Star yesterday over the phone.

The home ministry will now verify their identities through the police, he added.

All the rescued victims are now in detention centres in the Malaysian state of Kedah.

On the time frame for their repatriation, Sayedul said it depended on the completion of the verification process.

Jyotirmay Dutta, joint secretary at the home ministry, said they would hand over the list to the Special Branch of police for verification.

“Once the verification process is complete, we will send the list to the foreign ministry for necessary action,” he added.

Meanwhile, Malaysia-based CARAM Asia, a regional network on migrant rights, in a press release yesterday said they opened hotlines for the families of the Bangladeshi trafficking victims. The hotlines in Bangladesh are 8801984-766346, 8801984-766347 and 8801984-766348. The numbers in Malaysia are 60169410952 and 60143239146.

Also, relatives can email at harun@caramasia.org or missingmigrant@gmail.com.

The families can check more conveniently whether their dear ones have ended up in Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand through these hotlines, said Mohammad Harun Al Rashid, regional coordinator at CARAM Asia.

Ain O Salish Kendra, Brac and Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme in Bangladesh and CARAM Asia in Kuala Lumpur will work together to provide assistance for the victims and their families, said the release.