18 Bangladeshis imprisoned, tortured in 'scam centres' in Myanmar to return home

Eighteen Bangladeshis, who were victims of human trafficking and had been imprisoned in "scam centres" in Myanmar, are returning home tonight. 

They will arrive in Dhaka at 12:45am on a Thai Airways International flight.

The traffickers lured these Bangladeshis with promises of good jobs with high salaries and initially took them to Thailand. From there, they were transported to scam centres in Myanmar, where the traffickers forced them into cybercrime activities, said a press release. 

Those who refused were subjected to severe torture, including electric shocks. One person fell ill and started vomiting blood, after which another Bangladeshi, named Junayed, was sent with him to the hospital. Junayed escaped from there, crossed a river, and reached Thailand. He then started efforts to rescue the others, the release added.

Confirming the matter, Associate Director of BRAC (Migration and Youth Platform) Shariful Hasan, stated that Junayed and the victims' families reached out to BRAC for assistance in rescuing them. 

"Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Thailand, and all other parties concerned, the 18 Bangladeshis were freed. They are now returning home on a Thai Airways flight today."

The rescued individuals are Omar Faruk, Rashedul Islam Rifat, Alif Imran, Mohammad Raihan Subhan, SK Arman, Pavel Chowdhury, Monir Hossain, Ismail Hossain, Nazim Uddin, Zahir Uddin, Tanveer Ahmed Rafi, Tainur Khalilullah, Saymon Hossain Abir, Ujjal Hossain, Mehedi Hasan Shanto, Mohammad Kaiser Hossain, Shah Alam, and Akash Ali.

BRAC official Shariful also mentioned that cyber scam human trafficking is a horrific form of trafficking. 

"Various positions such as computer operators, typists, call centre operators, and others are advertised with promises of attractive salaries through online platforms [fake websites, email, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc]. 

"They are then deceptively taken to scam centres, where they are forcibly held at gunpoint and made to participate in scam operations. Warnings have been issued regarding jobs in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. It is crucial for everyone, including those planning to travel abroad, to be aware of these dangers," he added.