Saudi Returnees Highlight Abuse, Trauma, and Gaps

Barisal, Bangladesh: Two Bangladeshi women have recently returned from Saudi Arabia under harrowing circumstances, shedding light on the urgent need for better protection and support for migrant domestic workers.

One woman, a domestic worker from Barisal, returned pregnant after enduring repeated physical and sexual abuse. She is currently staying at the BRAC Learning Centre in Ashkona, Dhaka. She revealed that during her employment in Saudi Arabia, she received no salary, was denied food, and was subjected solely to abuse.

According to her account, she had travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2024 through a recruitment agent. Initially placed in an office, she was subsequently transferred to multiple households. Communication was nearly impossible due to language barriers. In extreme hunger, she even scavenged food from dustbins. She later discovered through a mobile application that her three-month salary had already been paid to her employer, yet she had received nothing.

Eventually, she fled to Medina, performed casual work, and later surrendered to the police in Mecca. While under police custody, authorities discovered she was pregnant. She was subsequently repatriated to Bangladesh in a weakened state. Shariful Islam Hasan, Assistant Director of BRAC’s Migration Programme, highlighted the absence of a structured protocol for reintegrating returnee women, describing it as a “serious systemic issue.”

In a separate case, another woman returned from Saudi Arabia thirteen days ago in a mentally unstable condition. Lacking a passport and identity documents, her family initially could not identify her. With assistance from police and BRAC, her identity was confirmed, and she was reunited with her family.

Human rights activists emphasise the pressing need to safeguard women workers abroad, dismantle the recruitment broker networks that exploit them, and ensure comprehensive rehabilitation and legal support upon their return.

Key Details of Recent Returnee Cases

These cases underscore systemic vulnerabilities faced by Bangladeshi women migrant workers and highlight the urgent need for coordinated interventions from government, NGOs, and international partners.