Tortured in Saudi Arabia, Bangladeshi women want to go back there: Minister

Amid an outcry over torture of Bangladeshi house helps in Saudi Arabia, the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister has claimed the situation has improved there.

Bangladeshi women in the Middle-Eastern country are ‘doing well now’ and those who returned home after alleged torture by their employers now want to go back to Saudi Arabia, Nurul Islam BSc says.

When the Jatiya Party’s Mahjabeen Morshed, an MP from seats reserved for women, raised the issue in parliament on Monday, the minister spoke about the steps taken by the government to prevent torture of Bangladeshi house helps in the Gulf kingdom.

“The torture has reduced due to steps taken by the government. The female workers are well now. Those who have returned home now want to go back (to Saudi Arabia),” Nurul Islam said.

Around 200 women are returning home every month after suffering torture by their employers in Saudi Arabia, according to officials at the BRAC’s Migration Programme.

Many of the returnees have also alleged sexual harassment.

“The level of torture is so intense that some of them have become mentally imbalanced,” Mahjabeen Morshed said.

“They are going abroad for job by spending money but are returning with no money. Quick steps are needed to overcome this situation,” she added.

The main problem Bangladeshi women face in Saudi Arabia is the inability to understand and speak Arabic, the minister contended.

Many flee and take refuge at safe home after they fail to adapt to the different environment, food habit and language in Saudi Arabia, he said.

“Besides these, they flee due to excessive work pressure during Ramadan.”

The minister said they are in touch with the Saudi Arabia authorities to overcome the situation.

“We are taking notes of why they are returning and where they were tortured. We can’t communicate with the employers directly, we can do so only through our mission there. The relevant Saudi minister is contacted, if necessary,” he said.