Sailing off into hell
Emran Hossain and Mohammad Ali Zinnat did an extensive investigation into human trafficking from Bangladesh to Malaysia. For over three months, they carried out a thorough research, interviewed trafficking victims, brokers and rights groups, and travelled to the southeastern coastal areas before reporting on the clandestine crime that brings to mind the horror of slave trade of the past. The two apart, Porimol Palma and Belal Hossain Biplob tried to find out the reasons jobseekers are so easily lured into such a dangerous journey and the ways to fight the crime. Stay with The Daily Star as we uncover the modern-day slave trade of transnational syndicates in the Dark Triangle.
The voyage that Jewel Barua had made to Thailand on a cargo vessel crammed with several hundred deceived jobseekers tells of a harrowing journey redolent of a time when slave trade was a profitable business across continents.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. In its modern dimension, the trade is no less appalling with many captives thrown overboard and drowned at sea, many shot dead and many committing suicide.
Those who survive till the end of what turns out to be a long, excruciating journey, end up either in jails or at immigration centres in Thailand and Malaysia, where they pass their days in constant fear and uncertainty.
Jewel's journey had taken him about two weeks. First a fishing boat carried him to a cargo vessel anchored in the waters of the Bay of Bengal for days until there were at least 500 people on board.
Read all stories of "Dark Triangle" series-
- Slave Trade Booms In Dark Triangle
- Kidnapped, treated like slaves of past
- 'MALAYSIA AIRPORTS' in Teknaf
- Sailing off into hell
- Illegally driven as legally restricted
- One broker an upazila's woe
- Kidnapped, turned into slaves of past
Jewel was almost unconscious by the time the boat had reached the cargo vessel. "I threw up ceaselessly and at one point blood came out of my mouth," he said over the phone.
The vessel stayed there for four more days before finally setting sail to Thailand. Out into the wide sea, what Jewel faced and saw haunts him to this day.
"The amount of rice we were served in a polythene bag can be held on an upturned palm," said Jewel. "Rice was served once a day with lentil soup and water was given in drops, half a tea cup a day."
So Jewel hardly needed to use the toilet throughout the journey. But when he did, he was terrified. "Blood passed when I urinated," he said.
About four to eight men enforced strict discipline, turning pieces of rope into whips by tying a knot at one end.
Ukhiya's Ismail, one of Jewel's fellow travellers, saw them use one such whip against a man from Moheshkhali for attempting to jump off the boat.
Another man from Moheshkhali was thrown overboard for demanding the crew share drinking water with them.
"Around half the 500 travellers on board suffered diarrhoea and those with deteriorating health were just thrown overboard while a few committed suicide," said Ismail.
Bangladesh Coast Guard recovered five bodies and 29 bullet-hit people from a trawler with 313 people on board that came under gun attack by traffickers in June 2013. The attack had happened when jobseekers, enraged by the trawler's delay in leaving for Thailand, revolted against the traffickers.
Survivors reported having seen more than one cargo vessel anchored in Bangladesh's waters, which were being operated by Thai people. In September last year Bangladesh Navy seized one such vessel -- about 20-metre long and around 130 km off St Martin's island -- with 625 people aboard.
After making landfall, they are held in Thai jungles in inhumane conditions until they pay hefty ransom.
Nazrul Islam had to pay in two phases Tk 2,30,000. The money was sent by his family in Bangladesh. However, when it was time for his release from near the Malaysian border where illegal migrants are kept in houses known as "receive house", he just changed hands from the traffickers to his Malaysian captor.
As no one came to receive him from those houses, the traffickers made an additional profit by selling him to a Malaysian construction supervisor. Without any money or support, he was treated like a slave traded at a fair price.
"My family sold our village home to pay the ransom. Then I fell into the hands of the Malaysian supervisor as none came to receive me from the traffickers. I cannot even return home," said Nazrul from Malaysia over the phone.
Nazrul nonetheless managed to escape from the supervisor following a police raid seven months later. Then he joined a glass manufacturing factory where he had to work without pay for a whole month as the employer took advantage of his illegal status as a migrant there.
"It's a curse to be an illegal migrant, always haunted by the fear of being caught by police, while working 12 hours a day and seven days a week with poor pay," said Nazrul.
Anisur Rahman, another trafficking victim, told these correspondents over the phone that his supervisor docked quite a good amount of money from his and his co-workers' (those who are illegal migrants) wages to bribe the Malaysian police.
Some, on the other hand, run away or are rescued by police.
Ismail and seven others, having escaped from the traffickers, walked through the jungles for 43 days living on leaves and fruits until they were caught by police immediately after entering Malaysia.
Jewel said he was half-dead by the time police had rescued him.
The jails and immigration centres Jewel was taken to were reportedly crammed with illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas. Many were maimed from torture and could not walk without help.
Worse still, victims are convicted of illegal intrusion into Malaysia after being rescued.
Gias Uddin, another victim, served his 80-day sentence after which he was detained at the Kualalampur immigration centre until repatriated.
"Only two toilets were there for 350 people," Gias remembered his days at the centre over the phone.
"You may die of fever or diarrhoea, but would not get any medicine or saline," he said.
Although repatriation takes a lot of time, there is still hope for those who would be repatriated some day.
But Nazrul, like many others, are caught in a situation wherein he can neither work legally nor report his abuses to the police. He actually finds himself in what appears to be a life-long limbo.
"Getting a job after travelling to Malaysia by sea is a myth," Nazrul said.
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