After 13 days, Saudi returnee Rezia Begum reunited with children
Six-month pregnant Saudi returnee Rima Akter, a trafficking survivor, handed to BRAC, faces uncertain future
After 13 days, Rezia Begum, who returned from Saudi Arabia in an unstable mental state, was handed over to her family yesterday at BRAC's Migration Welfare Centre in Uttara, reuniting her with her three children.
Rezia was handed over to BRAC's Migration Welfare Centre by Civil Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel immediately upon arrival, as she was unable to provide her address or any family information.
She remained at the centre for 13 days while authorities worked to locate her family.
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Using fingerprints, officers from the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) confirmed her identity against the national ID database, after which BRAC traced her family and facilitated the reunion. Her family had long feared she was dead due to the prolonged lack of contact.
Rezia arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 12 February at 4:45 pm on a Saudi Airlines flight. AVSEC officer Mahbub Alam said she appeared incoherent and unable to communicate any personal details. "Seeing her finally returned to her family after such a long process was a huge relief," he added.
BRAC reported that Rezia had no passport, national ID, or other personal documents. The search for her family involved extensive efforts and media coverage.
PBI Additional DIG Enayet Hossain Mannan said this was the first time the bureau had helped identify a victim of overseas abuse for safe repatriation.
He pledged that PBI would continue to support such victims and take action against trafficking networks responsible for their suffering.
Rezia's daughter, Liza Akter, explained that her mother had gone to Saudi Arabia in 2019 through a local agent and ATB Overseas Ltd in Dhaka. She faced physical abuse from her employer and lost contact with her family after 2021.
Despite a written complaint to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training in 2023, no resolution was reached. Liza said her mother is still unable to speak, and her appearance reflects the trauma she endured.
During the handover, another Saudi returnee, using the pseudonym Rima Akter, shared her story of abuse. She described being trafficked and sold multiple times while working in Saudi Arabia and being subjected to sexual and physical abuse.
Six months pregnant, she was repatriated on 9 February and handed over to BRAC by Airport Armed Police for safe shelter and medical care. She remains anxious about her own and her unborn child's future.
BRAC Migration Programme and Youth Platform Associate Director Shariful Hasan highlighted the lack of formal procedures to assist women returning from overseas in distress. "There is no system at the airport or in relevant departments to handle such cases. Women like Rezia and Rima face extreme vulnerability, and we must establish a structured support mechanism involving the government and civil society," he said.
Officials present at the ceremony included PBI Additional DIG Enayet Hossain Mannan, Airport Armed Police Battalion Superintendent Mohammad Mozammel Haque, Assistant Police Superintendent Rakibul Hasan Bhuiyan, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Expatriate Welfare Desk In-charge Shariful Islam, and AVSEC officer Mahbub Alam.
