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Published : 22 Jan 2026, 11:36 PM
Eight Bangladeshi nationals who were lured to Myanmar with promises of well-paid jobs have been rescued and repatriated to Bangladesh.
The men returned to Dhaka on Thursday evening aboard a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Bangkok after being freed from a so-called “scam centre” in Myanmar.
Following their arrival, non-government organisation BRAC, in coordination with government agencies, provided them with assistance.
There have been longstanding allegations that Bangladeshis are being trafficked to Myanmar under false promises of employment and then forced to work at cyber scam centres.
According to BRAC, the eight victims had their passports and mobile phones confiscated and were subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse while being compelled to carry out online fraud.
Citing family members of the victims, BRAC said the men were taken abroad after being promised “good computer-related jobs” in Dubai, Malaysia, or Thailand, either directly from Dhaka or via third countries.
They were later taken through Thailand’s border town of Mae Sot and forcibly moved into Myanmar.
Upon arrival, their documents and phones were seized, cutting them off from all outside contact, and they were forced to engage in cyber fraud under constant threat and violence.
Those who returned on Thursday are Md Abdul Malek, Habibur Rahman, Rahim Badsha, SK Minhajul Hossain, Mehraj Hasan, Riaz Fakir, Ripon Mia and Ulhasa Marma.
Mehraj said he had travelled to Dubai and later Thailand after being promised computer-related work. He was then taken to Myanmar and forced to sign a one-and-a-half-year contract.
He said failure to meet weekly targets for collecting phone numbers led to inhuman punishment, including being made to run in the sun, carry 20-litre water containers, and being confined in dark rooms for long periods.
Riaz said he entered Thailand on a tourist visa before being taken across the Mae Sot border into Myanmar. He said he was also forced to sign a work contract and was repeatedly threatened with death.
Ripon, a migrant worker in Malaysia, said he went to Thailand hoping for better employment but was instead taken to Myanmar, where his passport and phone were seized and he was forced into work.
Minhajul said he travelled to Thailand from the United Arab Emirates and became trapped in Mae Sot. Even after completing a one-year contract, he was not released and was later asked to pay a large sum of money in exchange for being allowed to return home.
According to the victims, their assigned task was to collect personal phone numbers through Facebook. Any failure to meet targets resulted in extreme physical and mental abuse.
BRAC said earlier, on Sept 19, 2025, 18 Bangladeshi nationals who had faced similar abuse in Myanmar were also brought back to the country.
Based on its experience over the past few years, BRAC has urged people to remain cautious about overseas job offers involving computer or internet-based work.
