356 more back from Libya

2 die along border: Tales of miseries

Azzizur Rahaman

Another 356 Bangladeshis, who returned home from Libya on Saturday, narrated stories of their miseries as they reportedly did not get any services from the Bangladesh mission in Tripoli.

Foreign Secretary Mohammed Mijarul Quayes at a briefing on Saturday said two Bangladeshi nationals, who fled the trouble-torn Libya, died along borders.

Salim Chowdhury from Noakhali died of cardiac arrest along the Tunisian border on Friday while Jahangir Afrad of Narsinghdi died along the Egyptian border on Saturday, he said.

“We have requested our missions in Tripoli and Cairo to send their bodies to Bangladesh as soon as possible,” the foreign secretary said, adding: “we are yet to know the reasons for Jahangir’s death. It will be clear after autopsy.”

A total of 3491 Bangladeshi citizens have so far returned home, according to the last statistics available on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Arshad Ali, a Bangladeshi back from Libya narrated on Saturday at Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport that he couldn’t take rice in the last ten days. “I had had only two breads in this time. Today, the airport authorities have given me rice,” he said.

Arshad, 35, father of one child of Tangail district, told this reporter that “The Bangladesh embassy in Tripoli has virtually taken no steps to rescue us. Rather, some officials of the embassy demanded money.

Ali, who worked in a Chinese company named ‘MSDI’ in Benghazi, said only three months ago he went to Libya by spending Tk 2,50,000, taking loan from some NGOs and a bank with a high rate of interest. He got one month’s salary only. Tears rolled down uninterruptedly when he narrated his sorrowful story. People surrounding him also wept on hearing him.

Khalilur Rahman, an inhabitant under Islamic University Thana of Kushtia district, said he went to Libya one year ago spending an amount of Tk 350,000. I used to draw a handsome salary in Libya but all my dreams now are shattered, he added.

“I never imagined that I would come back home so hurriedly. I had been without food or pure water for six days. Every moment I remembered my parents and brothers and thought perhaps I would never see them again,” said Rahman in a weeping voice.

“I have walked 50 miles from Benghazi to Tunisian border amidst the cracking sounds of bullet, and finally reached the border. They helped us and gave shelter but all Bangladeshis couldn’t take shelter in the secure places. If our government takes steps our workers can save their lives,” he added.

Anfar Ali of Sylhet said the Libyan people had looted all our belongings by threatening. Sometimes they beat us, chopped us by different lethal weapons and took away our money and mobile phone sets.

Blaming the steps taken by Bangladesh embassy Ali said, “I saw China, America and the UK have sent planes, buses and ships to take back their citizens in secure places but when we contacted our embassy officials they expressed their inability to help us.

Salahuddin Ahmed, showing a sign of cut in his left hand said, “The law and order has seriously collapsed in Libya. Numerous miscreants aggressive to foreigners are roaming around with firearms and sharp edged weapons.

“Around four hundred Bangladeshis work along with me at a company. One night ten Libyan people entered our room and took away mobile phones and other belongings. Somehow, we saved ourselves from their hands,” he added.

He claimed that they did not get any help from the Bangladesh embassy in Libya. “We contacted them because of the worst situation, but they said, they had nothing to do. We even stopped their vehicles but of no use,” he added.

Saiful Islam of Munshiganj told The New Nation, “The fate of about 120 Bangladeshis are at risk and they came to an Egyptian border from Benghazi in an open truck amidst looting and anarchy. There we stayed under the open sky for six days without almost any food and water. I cannot express the misery in words. All of us also fell sick.

“On February 20, the first day of rebellion, it rained all the way to the border and that many of them had fallen seriously ill. During the next six days, none of us got any chance just to stay standing, let alone sleep. Only Allah saves us.”

IMO regional representative (South Asia) Rubab Fatima has said the political perplexity of Libya turned into an international crisis as people from different countries were trapped in the country. We are all trying to handle the situation.

According to Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), about 89,000 Bangladeshi expatriate workers reside in Libya. Around 15,000 Bangladeshi workers live in Tripoli, a stronghold of Gaddafi, while, another 45,000 stay elsewhere in the country.

Foreign Ministry Deputy Secretary Zasim Uddin told The New Nation on Saturday that one packet of food, a bottle of water and cash Tk 1,000 were given to each on behalf of the Prime Minister at the airport. “They are being transported to Mohakhali, Kamlapur, Sayedabad and Gabtali inter-city bus terminals.

“The government is collecting the registration number of our labourers and later when any Bangladeshi would go aboard would get preference as back from Libya,” he added.

 

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Source: The New Nation - Independent Daily