NRBs in Maldives call for agitation protesting murders of two Bangladesh nationals

Non-resident Bangladeshis (NRB) in Maldives have called for an agitation in protest of the murders of two Bangladeshis and attack on two others within a week.

Meanwhile, the Maldives authorities have threatened migrant workers including Bangladeshis with cancellation of visas in the wake of the call for protest, reports local media.

Bangladeshi citizen Shaheen Mia was killed early on Sunday at the capital Male’s Southwest Harbour area, reported Haveeru Online.

Four masked assailants stabbed him to death after barging in to the ‘Lhiyanu Café’, where Mia worked.

Local online media Minivan News reported that a Bangladesh national identified as ‘Bilal’ was found dead at his home in Alif Alif Atoll Thoddoo Island on Tuesday night.

Shaheen Mia. Photo: Haveeru Online

It quoted Thoddoo Council President Hassan Ibrahim as saying that Bilal, in his mid-20s, was found dead and naked with a piece of cloth tied around the neck.

Bilal’s employer found the body around 10pm at the house where had been living with three other expatriate workers.

Maldives police said they have not yet found out about the motive or make any arrests.

Meanwhile, three expatriates were attacked on Tuesday in the capital Male, reports Haveeru Online.

On Tuesday, a Bangladesh national was attacked in front of a shop around 7:20pm at the Haveeree Hingun area.

Ten minutes later another Bangladeshi was attacked in front of another shop on the same street.

The third attack took place around 7:40pm near the Fish Market. An Indian national was knifed in the attack.

Maldives police has ruled out any link between Mia’s murder and Tuesday’s attacks.

“And that there was no room to believe that they had been targeted”, reads the Haveeru Online report quoting a police media official.

Expatriate Bangladeshis have called for a 'peaceful protest' in the wake of such attacks on expatriate workers.

Maldive’s CNM News reported that the protest scheduled for Friday will be held in front of the Bangladesh High Commission.

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.

It quoted Controller of Immigration and Emigration Mohamed Anwar saying in a statement that protesting for rights was against the terms of expatriates’ work permits.

The country’s Human Rights Commission Vice President Ahmed Tholal, however, said such ban on protest was “unconstitutional”.

“The constitution guarantees every person on Maldivian soil the right to protest. A clause in a migrant worker’s contract cannot override the constitution,” he told Minivan News.

Citing a senior Bangladesh High Commission official CNM reported that the embassy was aware of the protest called by Bangladeshi nationals.

The official told CNM that they expressed Bangladeshi workers’ security concerns to the Maldives Home Minister Umar Naseer, Police Commissioner Hussein Waheed, Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon and President Abdulla Yameen.

According to unofficial figures, around 70 to 80 thousand Bangladeshis live in the country, a large number of them without any proper documents.