No decision yet on KSA migrant women: Foreign Minister

Staff Reporter : Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said that about 99 percent Bangladeshi female worker in Saudi Arabia are well.
He said also that the government has not yet taken any decision to deal with the plight of Bangladeshi female workers in Saudi Arabia.
“More than two lakh and 70 thousand Bangladeshi women are working in Saudi Arabia. A total 8,000 returned home while 53 have died. That means about 99 percent migrant women in Saudi Arabia are doing well and sending money back home,” the foreign minister said it in a press conference in his ministry.
He said, many female workers accused about being tortured in the country after return, but have not said us in time.
“We have opened shelter for tortured female workers there. If they said everything they face in the country during staying those shelter homes then it would be easy to us to file cases against those employers,” he said.
The minister said also that the government has also opened a 24-hour hotline there (Saudi Arabia) for vulnerable women. Saudi government is also very quick to take action, Momen said.
“But the tortured women said it after returning home,” the foreign minister said.
The minister said that he has discussed the matter with Expatriate Welfare minister but yet to decide on a course of action of Bangladeshi female migrants in Saudi Arabia.
The foreign minister said about six lakh female Bangladeshi workers are working abroad.
He said also that huge number of Bangladeshi women migrants are earning handful of money in Saudi Arabia and sending to their families. But many will lose this opportunity if we stop.
Momen said he also asked the recruiting agencies to register women workers they send to Saudi Arabia as domestic help.
It would then make it easier for us to track them when they need any help, he added.
The minister also said that all migrant workers are not tortured. Many of them have being tortured for their own reasons.
They cannot cook foods well which their employers like. Many of them failed to understand their language. Proper training before sending them abroad may decrease such plights.
The foreign minister said, recently Sumi Akhter, a migrant worker urged to return home through a uploaded video. We have taken steps and brought her home back.