Govt admits Bangladeshi females returned from Saudi Arabia after sexual harassment

The expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry, which had so far denied allegations of sexual abuse of Bangladeshi female workers in Saudi Arabia, has finally admitted the wrongdoing.

In a report submitted to the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry, it said many Bangladeshi women who went to the Gulf kingdom to work as domestic help returned after sexual and other sorts of abuse.

Out of the 111 women who returned on Aug 26, as many as 38 were abused physically and sexually while 48 others were deprived of regular salary and allowances, according to the report submitted to the committee on Thursday.  

The ministry identified 11 reasons behind the women returning from Saudi Arabia before their contracts could run out.

Some of the women cited more than one reason such as both sexual harassments as well as not getting salary.

The others alleged deprivation of food and holidays, excessive work, and illness, among others.

Bangladesh started sending female domestic workers to Saudi Arabia after the signing of a deal in 2015.

As many of them started returning for alleged sexual harassment, the ministry sent a delegation to the Middle Eastern country. On return, the delegation said it found no evidence of torture of Bangladeshi women in Saudi Arabia.

Ali Ashraf, a member of the parliamentary committee who raised the issue in a meeting on Aug 28, told bdnews24.com they could not discuss the report in Thursday’s meeting due to a lack of time.

It has been kept aside for the next meeting,” he added.