37 Bangladeshis return home after rescue from Cambodia cyber scam compounds

A total of 37 Bangladeshi nationals rescued from various cyber scam compounds in Cambodia returned home early today (12 June) after enduring months of exploitation and abuse under the guise of overseas employment.

The returnees arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 1:25am aboard a Thai Airways flight, said a press release.

According to Brac's Migration Programme, all returnees received emergency assistance at the airport, along with financial support to help them travel back to their homes.

One of the returnees, Shahinur Rahman (pseudonym) from Dhaka, narrated their ordeal.

They had been sent to Cambodia through legal channels after being promised lucrative jobs abroad.

Upon arrival, however, they were handed over by Bangladeshi trafficking networks to Chinese-controlled cyber scam compounds in exchange for money.

The victims said they were forced against their will to participate in online fraud operations targeting citizens of developed countries, particularly the United States.

Those who failed to meet assigned targets were subjected to physical and psychological abuse.

The Bangladeshis were rescued following recent crackdowns by Cambodian law enforcement agencies on several scam compounds operating in the country.

The latest repatriation follows similar rescue operations involving Bangladeshi victims trapped in cyber scam centres in neighbouring countries.

On 22 January this year, eight Bangladeshis returned from a cyber-scam centre in Myanmar, while another 18 had been repatriated on 19 September 2025.

Victims in those cases said they had been lured by promises of well-paying jobs and taken through Thailand's border town of Mae Sot before being forcibly transported into Myanmar.

Upon arrival, their passports and mobile phones were confiscated, cutting off communication with their families. They were then subjected to severe abuse and coerced into carrying out various forms of cyber fraud.

Shariful Hasan, associate director of Brac's Migration Programme and Youth Platform, described cyber scam operations as a growing and alarming form of human trafficking.

"Recruiters advertise attractive job opportunities for positions such as computer operators, typists and call centre agents through fake websites, emails and social media platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram," he said.

"Victims are then lured into scam compounds, where they are held hostage at gunpoint and forced to engage in online fraud."

Shariful noted that the government and Brac have repeatedly issued warnings urging Bangladeshis to exercise caution before travelling to countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia for employment.

"We urge everyone to remain vigilant. Greater awareness is needed among prospective migrant workers and the general public. The government should also strengthen scrutiny before approving overseas job placements in these countries," he said.

He further stressed the importance of verifying job offers, ensuring safe migration pathways and enhancing international cooperation to combat cyber scam networks and human trafficking.