Employment scam: 37 Bangladeshis rescued in Cambodia return home

Thirty-seven Bangladeshi nationals rescued from various cyber scam compounds in Cambodia returned home late on Friday night. Lured abroad with promises of well-paid jobs, they were instead turned into cyber slaves and subjected to prolonged abuse.

The group arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 1:25 am on a Thai Airways (TG-339) flight, reports a press release. BRAC’s Migration Programme said all returnees received emergency assistance at the airport, along with financial support to help them travel home.

One of the returnees, Shahinur Rahman (pseudonym) from Dhaka, said they had been sent to Cambodia through legal channels after being promised attractive employment opportunities abroad. However, upon arrival, Bangladeshi trafficking agents handed them over, in exchange for money, to various cyber scam compounds controlled by Chinese operators.

The victims said they were forced against their will to engage in online fraud schemes inside these compounds. In particular, they were pressured to participate in cyber scams targeting citizens of the United States and other developed countries. Those who failed to meet assigned targets were subjected to physical and psychological abuse.

The Bangladeshis were rescued following recent operations by Cambodian law enforcement agencies against several scam compounds.

Earlier, on 22 January this year, eight Bangladeshis returned home after being rescued from a cyber scam centre in Myanmar. Before that, on 19 September 2025, another 18 Bangladeshi nationals were repatriated under similar circumstances.

They had also been lured with promises of good jobs and taken through the Thai border town of Mae Sot before being forced into Myanmar. Upon arrival, their passports and mobile phones were confiscated, cutting them off from communication. They were then subjected to severe abuse and forced to carry out various forms of cyber fraud.

Shariful Hasan, associate director of BRAC’s Migration Programme and Youth Platform, said cyber scam trafficking is one of the most alarming forms of human trafficking. He explained that recruiters advertise attractive salaries for positions such as computer operators, typists and call-centre operators through various online channels, including fake websites, emails, Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram.

“Victims are then deceptively taken into scam centres, where they are held hostage at gunpoint and forced to engage in fraudulent activities,” he said.

He noted that both the government and BRAC have repeatedly issued warnings urging people to exercise caution when travelling to Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. “We are once again urging everyone to remain extremely vigilant. Greater awareness is needed among all citizens, especially prospective migrant workers,” he said.

Shariful Hasan also said the government should conduct more thorough scrutiny before approving worker migration to these countries. In particular, he stressed the need to verify job offers, ensure safe migration and strengthen international cooperation to combat cyber scam operations.