Bangladeshis in Maldives to protest killings of fellow expats

Bangladeshi expatriates in the Maldives have called for a peaceful agitation in front of the Bangladesh high commission today to protest the killings of two Bangladeshis and attacks on two others.

Of the deceased, Shahin Mia, 25, was stabbed to death in a Malé café on Sunday, while another, identified as Bilal, was found dead at a house in Alif Alif Atoll Thoddoo Island the next day.

Bilal's employer found the body at the house where he had been living with three others.

Maldives police said they had not yet found out the motive behind the killings or make any arrest, reports Channel News Maldives.

Besides, in separate incidents, two other Bangladeshis were attacked by unknown criminals in the Haveeree Hingun area on Tuesday.

Faisal Ahmed, a Bangladeshi driver in Malé, told BBC Bangla Service that they had been going through turmoil following the recent political violence.

While talking to Channel News Maldives, another Bangladeshi claimed that Maldivians treat Bangladeshis inhumanely and on top of that, attacks on foreigners have seen a sudden rise.

Meanwhile, the country's Department of Immigration and Emigration has warned migrant workers against participating in protests and threatened to cancel their visas, reported Minivan News based in Malé.

But the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives and human rights group Transparency Maldives described the Immigration Department's protest ban as unconstitutional and called on the government to listen to worker's concerns.

Issuing a press release yesterday, the foreign ministry of Bangladesh said Bangladesh High Commissioner in the Maldives Rear Admiral Kazi Sarwar Hossain had a meeting with Maldives President Abdulla Yameen on Wednesday over the issue.

The high commissioner had urged the Bangladeshis to stay calm and cautious, the release added.

According to unofficial figures, around 50,000 to 60,000 Bangladeshis currently live in the country.