19 Bangladeshis, lured by the promise of higher earnings, fell into the hands of human traffickers while attempting to travel from Dubai to Thailand. The traffickers took them to detention camps in the Myawaddy-Mesoat region on the Myanmar-Thailand border, promising to take them to Thailand. They have now been successfully freed.
The freed Bangladeshis landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at approximately 1:45 AM on Wednesday (March 19).
They were freed on Tuesday (March 18) through diplomatic efforts by the Bangladesh Embassies in Yangon and Bangkok.
The 19 Bangladeshi citizens, freed from Myanmar detention camps, were taken to Thailand. From there, they were repatriated to their home country.
It has been learned that these Bangladeshis went to Thailand from Dubai in hopes of earning more money. Individuals involved in human trafficking, under the guise of taking them to Thailand, transported them to detention camps in the Myawaddy-Mesoat region on the Myanmar-Thailand border. These detention camps are primarily located in Myanmar, with approximately 30 such camps in the area.
A recent joint operation by Thai-Myanmar forces dismantled about 4-5 of these camps. People in the IT sector are lured into these camps with promises of high earnings. Once there, they are forced to work, often subjected to torture if they fail to meet targets, and are not allowed to leave the camp areas.
Sources further reveal that these 19 Bangladeshis were rescued from these detention camps. This brings the total number of Bangladeshis freed from Myanmar detention camps to 22.
Earlier, one Bangladeshi escaped from such a detention camp and took refuge in Yangon, Myanmar. The Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon became aware of the situation.
After sheltering in Yangon for nearly a month, the Bangladeshi returned home through the diplomatic efforts of the Bangladesh Embassy. Subsequently, the Bangladesh Embassy contacted Myanmar through diplomatic channels to rescue other Bangladeshis.
The Myanmar government assured cooperation in rescuing the Bangladeshis. The Myanmar government informed the Yangon Embassy that the border region of Myawaddy-Mesoat is a sensitive area, and outsiders are not allowed to enter.
However, if Bangladesh could persuade the Thai government, it would be easier to free the Bangladeshis. Subsequently, the Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon contacted the Bangladesh Embassy in Thailand and informed them of the matter.
When the Bangladesh Embassy in Thailand sought cooperation, the Thai government granted permission. As a result, the 19 Bangladeshis were rescued from that region of Myanmar on Tuesday and sent to Bangkok.
Relevant diplomatic sources indicate that approximately 6,000 Chinese citizens, 400 Indonesians, and 285 Indian citizens have been rescued from these border detention camps in Myanmar and repatriated to their respective countries.
Recently, many people have fallen victim to fraud by traveling to Vietnam and Hong Kong on visit visas with promises of employment. Local diplomats advise that if offered proposals to travel to Australia via Myanmar, Thailand, or Indonesia by sea, thorough verification should be conducted before proceeding.
A local diplomat stated that recently, several Bangladeshi citizens who traveled this human trafficking route were apprehended by the Australian Coast Guard and returned home.
