Bangladeshis Return From Libya After Ordeal

A total of 174 Bangladeshi nationals have returned to Dhaka from Libya with the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The group arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Tuesday aboard a special Burak Air flight originating from Tripoli's Tajoura detention center.

Among the returnees were Mashiur Rahman and Sohel Mia, who shared harrowing accounts of their journeys and subsequent detentions with Prothom Alo while traveling toward Gulistan. Mashiur Rahman endured a nine-month ordeal traveling through Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, and Egypt before finally reaching Libya. His family was forced to pay 32 lakh BDT to brokers to facilitate the disastrous migration attempt.

Mashiur's troubles deepened after a boat carrying 30 Bangladeshis and four Egyptians began a perilous sea crossing, only to be intercepted by Libyan forces. Following the interception, he was held at the Tajoura detention center for 45 days. Describing the brutal conditions inside the facility, Mashiur recounted severe physical abuse by guards carrying long pipes who would issue beatings without warning or reason. He also detailed extreme food scarcity, noting that 500 individuals were packed into a room with a capacity of only 200, leaving portions so meager that someone cried during every meal while others offered comfort.

Sohel Mia faced a similarly grim path, spending 14 months traveling through Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, and Egypt to reach Libya while spending a staggering 39 lakh BDT. Like Mashiur, Sohel was detained at the Tajoura detention center after being intercepted by soldiers, eventually passing 48 days in captivity before securing his release and repatriation.

Reflecting on the psychological toll of his confinement, Sohel questioned if a particular day could even be considered Eid, recalling that he spent the entire day crying and pleading with the Almighty to let him see his homeland again. Now back in Bangladesh, Sohel noted that the IOM stated they might receive some financial assistance, and he expressed a desperate hope to acquire an auto-rickshaw to earn a living and repay his massive debts. Having learned a bitter lesson, Sohel vowed never to seek work abroad again, stating he would rather struggle locally with his family than ever utter the name of a foreign country again.

Mashiur echoed the profound relief of returning home, focusing entirely on the simple comforts provided on the flight after enduring months of starvation and terror. As he put it upon seeing the meal served on the aircraft, his eyes were fixed on the rice, wondering what would go into his mouth, and simply seeing the rice on the plane was enough to fill his stomach.