Like many others, Sufian Khan borrowed a large sum of money, hoping to go to Malaysia to change his fortune.
He spent over Tk 4.5 lakh to make the arrangements, dreaming of a better life for his family.
But his dream soon turned into despair when he, along with nine others, was deported by Malaysian authorities early yesterday.
"I still have a loan of over Tk 1 lakh," he told The Daily Star from Barishal.
Sufian said they were forcibly taken to Kuala Lumpur International Airport by executives of Malaysian glove manufacturing company Mediceram, based in Selangor.
The company terminated all 180 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of visas for more than 90 of them.
The company terminated all 180 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of visas for more than 90 of them.
Following their termination, some of the workers went to the Bangladesh High Commission seeking help, but received none.
A Mediceram executive was present at the high commission and held a meeting for about two and a half hours, while the workers were kept waiting outside, said another deportee, Nironjan. "When we finally got to speak, the high commission officials told us they could do nothing about it," he said.
The migrants also turned to the immigration and labour departments in Kuala Lumpur, but no one accepted their complaints, said Nironjan.
"On November 4, Mediceram executives dragged us onto a bus to the airport. We were literally crying," said Sufian.
He said Mediceram had been irregular in paying wages since they joined in April 2023 through the recruiting agency Greenland Overseas.
"We were paid as little as 200 Malaysian ringgit a month," he said, adding that the company also failed to renew their work visas on time.
After repeated demonstrations and complaints, Mediceram eventually paid the recruitment fees, but most of the migrants were left in uncertainty and faced the threat of police detention due to expired visas.
As a result, they went on a work abstention on October 27 but were soon terminated.
Another migrant, who is still staying at Mediceram's hostel, told this correspondent that the remaining 170 Bangladeshi workers are living in fear, as company executives have also threatened them with deportation.
Back home, the deportees say they feel abused, defrauded, and deprived of justice and have no idea what to do next.
"I have my parents and wife at home. I still owe one lakh taka. I am totally undone," said Sufian.
Contacted, Bangladesh's Deputy High Commissioner in Malaysia, Shahanara Monica, said the mission has sent a report to Dhaka regarding the incident.
"Until we hear back from them, we cannot make any comment," she said yesterday evening.
There are around 800,000 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, including 450,000 who migrated between 2022 and 2024 through a syndicate of 101 recruiting agencies.
Recruitment has remained suspended since May last year.
