Trafficked To Cambodia: Four victims get their money back

Four out of the five trafficked Bangladeshi youths, who were forced to con people over the internet in Cambodia last year, have got their money back.

One victim paid a local recruiting agency for his "migration to Cambodia", while four others had bribed an official for documents from the Bangladesh embassy in Thailand to get released from the Immigration Detention Centre in Cambodia.

The victims shared their sufferings with The Daily Star which ran a story headlined "Sold as cyber slave" on January 22.

Of them, Abdus Salam from Natore was sent to Cambodia by a recruiting agency, owned by one Abdul Hannan.

"The agency owner has promised me to give back Tk 3.50 lakh, and already paid me Tk 2 lakh after The Daily Star published the news. Earlier, we tried to negotiate, but he did not respond," Salam told this newspaper, adding that he had spent Tk 4 lakh to go to Cambodia.

Contacted, Hannan said he had returned some of the money.

In October last year, four other victims -- Prosenjit Sarker from Khulna, Ismail Hossen from Manikganj, and Foysal Hossain from Narsingdi, and Rubel from Pirojpur -- ended up in the detention centre in Phnom Penh after being rescued by Cambodian police from different sites where they were forced to con people over the internet.

They alleged that they had to bribe, through their families, Abdul Hadi, an administrative officer (labour wing) at Bangladesh embassy in Bangkok, for obtaining travel permits or necessary documents to be released.

A Bangladeshi in Cambodia known as "Lion Kamal" was also involved in the process, according to the victims.

Prosenjit and Ismail claimed that their relatives in Bangladesh had to pay around Tk 48,000 for each of themto two mobile banking accounts provided by Hadi and "Lion Kamal".

Foysal and Rubel claimed that their families sent Tk 16,500 and 16,320 respectively to a mobile banking account provided by Hadi.

On January 2, this newspaper also talked to Hadi in this regard. He denied the allegation but he said he had taken the money from the victims which was "embassy's service charge".

On January 14, this newspaper emailed the Bangladesh embassy in Bangkok requesting an official statement in this regard.

Two officials at the embassy contacted this correspondent over phone and said they would investigate the allegation.

After this, "Lion Kamal" contacted Prosenjit and Ismail and gave each of them Tk 50,000 back through a bank and mobile banking accounts.

"Lion Kamal had made us sign a statement that we [Prosenjit and Ismail] would not make any complaints against Abdul Hadi," Prosenjit told The Daily Star yesterday.

This newspaper has obtained a copy of the statement from Prosenjit. It has also got two audio clips in which presumably "Lion Kamal" is heard instructing Ismail on how to write the statement.

Contacted, "Lion Kamal" said he returned the money on behalf of a man. When asked whether the man was Hadi, he declined to comment.

Foysal said, "One unidentified woman clad in black burka along with three men came to my home and gave Tk 16,500 to my mother when I was away. She also requested my mother not to file any complaints."

Another victim Rubel received a phone call from an unknown number on January 23.

"A man asked me whether I had given money to Abdul Hadi. As I said yes, he said he will send the money and asked me not to file any complaints against Hadi," Rubel said.

After that conversation, Rubel got Tk 16,000 to his mobile banking account.