They went abroad for a favour of fortune but they returned home empty-handed, with their dream for a better life shattered by six months' ordeal.
The 28 Bangladeshi youths who went to Jordan late last year came back home Saturday evening, having gleaned the nightmarish experience.
"I still cannot believe we are free... and everything seems here heavenly," an overwhelming gush of joy was evident as Hasan Tarek Tuhin spoke to The Daily Star on arrival at Zia International Airport (ZIA).
Tuhin and all his co-workers feel they have escaped death, as they had to endure severe torture while working in Al-Shaheed Apparels, a garment factory, for six months. They lived on half a meal and, most surprisingly, without any salary.
"We were in a hell and all we were dreaming of for the last few months was freedom," said Tuhin. He voice says he has got a new life.
A total of 115 Bangladeshi youths went to Jordan for job through a local manpower agent, Golden View International. Of them, 86 so far returned home with the help of Bangladesh embassy. The others were earlier sent back by the company or fled from the Arab country.
Those who came back Saturday are Manik Mia, Faruk Ahmed, Rabiul, Abdul Khaleq, Raju Ahmed, Siddique, Abdul Razzak, Tamij Uddin, Babul, Nurul Islam, Hasan Tarek, Rezaul Kabir, Awlad Hossain, Shihab Hossain, M Nafid, Shariful Islam, Shahar Ali, Milon Hossain, Humayun Kabir, Zia Uddin, Selim Hossain, Amir Hossain, Imran Hossain, Abdul Mannan, Masum Billah, Nur Hossain, Yusuf Hossain and Al-Amin.
All of them rushed to this correspondent at the arrival lounge of the airport to narrate their horrible experiences. And a few told the sad tales.
DREAM JOB
Most of the youths hailing from Comilla, Jessore, Natore, Jhenidah and Brahmanbaria districts secured the "dream job" in Jordan in exchange for Tk 1.2 lakh to Tk 1.75 lakh.
"A broker in my village working for the manpower agency promised me the job for Tk 1.75 lakh," said Shahar Ali of Jhenidah.
Most of them managed the money by selling land or taking loans from relatives and money lenders.
"I sold 15 katha land and took Tk 35,000 loan from a money lender," said Milon of Jessore. So did Nasir, Tuhin and others.
Golden View International, however, claimed to have taken only Tk 70,000 from each of them. "We are not responsible if they paid more than this amount to any other third party," said Shahadat Hossain, manager of the agency.
Al Shaheed Apparels sought 250 workers from Bangladesh. They promised $120 a month for each worker, apart from free food and lodging. Golden View sent 115 people in phases during November-December last year, said Shahadat.
TOUGH JOB
Some 117 workers stayed in a six-room house in the middle of a desert, some 10 kilometres away from the garment factory. About 20 people were stuffed in each of the rooms, said the returnee workers.
"We had to sleep on the floor with a thin blanket in biting cold," said Nasir of Brahmanbaria. "We used to wake up at around 6:00am and wait in a long queue since there were only six toilets in the house."
They could not even have their breakfast to catch the bus waiting for them. "Half-fed or without taking any food, we had to rush for the bus and start working in the factory at 7:00am," said Khaleq, another returnee.
The labourers worked for 15 to 16 hours, with a three to five minutes break for lunch, before returning to their dorm at 10:00pm. "After the day's work, we had to clean all the rooms before going to bed," said Tuhin.
SCANTY FOOD, REGULAR TORTURE
All the returnees complained of scanty food served after the hard work. They said the company served them "poor, inadequate and non-nutritious" food.
In the morning, the employers used to serve a loaf of bread, known as 'khobuj,' and a cup of soup, which was difficult to consume. "Boiled cabbages and a very small amount of rice were on the menu for lunch and dinner", said Nasir.
The employer used to punish the workers if they wanted more.
"We were subjected to punishment when we wanted more food," said Shahar Ali. "The guards used to beat us up with the broom-sticks. Sometimes they used to force us to stand naked in an air-conditioned room in severe cold."
Once they tortured six of them so badly that they had to remain in bed for 15 days.
"I asked for some medicine when I had a sprained toe. They refused to give and thrashed my toes with the broom-stick," said Nurul Islam.
"I was sent to jail twice for demanding salary," said Tuhin. "The jail authorities did not give me any food during the three-day and four-night stay there. I had to live drinking only water from a tap in the toilet," he added.
Immediately after joining the company in December, the factory authorities forced them to work for 48 hours at a stretch without any rest.
Many workers, who could not withstand the torture, fled from the factory without taking their passports and other documents deposited to the employers.
The workers told this correspondent that around 20 workers had fled the factory during December-January while the employers had sent some others back to Bangladesh for demanding salary.
PROTESTS FOILED
The workers attempted to abstain from their work demanding salary and adequate food but the company authorities foiled their bid, the workers said.
"One day one of us pretended to be sick and did not go to work," said Tuhin. "We sent him to the capital with two applications, seeking help from the Bangladesh Embassy and the labour court, informing them about our sufferings."
Embassy officials and representatives from the labour court then talked with the factory officials but they failed to improve the situation. "The authorities promised to give us salaries but never kept their words," Tuhin alleged.
The workers also informed Golden View International about their suffering but the manpower agency did not come to their help.
AGENCY'S STATEMENT
The employees of Golden View International at its Banani office said their Managing Partner Wahidul Islam is in Jordan to arrange the worker's repatriation.
Company Manager Shahadat told The Daily Star that they are bringing the workers back home at their own expenses. They would also compensate them, he asserted.
The manpower agency so far sent about 3,000 workers to work in the garment factories in Jordan, Shahadat said.
MINISTER'S COMMENT
State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Mohammed Quamrul Islam said the ministry has formed a committee to investigate the matter.
The recruiting licence of the agency has been withheld. The agency will have to compensate and rehabilitate the workers, he told The Daily Star last night.