Afaz Uddin's dream of going to Canada turned into a tragedy

A dream built over three decades, money earned through years of hard labour and sweat—everything was taken away by a fraudulent ring. Afaz Uddin Molla, a 58-year-old Bangladeshi migrant worker living in Kuwait, has been left devastated after losing Tk 2.4 million taka (approximately USD 22,000) in a scam promising migration to Canada.

Following the fraud, Afaz Uddin's wife, Roksana Akter, filed a case on 22 May at Jatrabari Police Station in Dhaka. The main accused named in the case is a man called Asadul. Additionally, 20 to 25 unidentified individuals have been listed as his accomplices.

According to police sources, the court has directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to take over the investigation into the case filed by Afaz Uddin’s wife.

Speaking to Afaz Uddin, the victim of the fraud, it became clear that he had spent 30 years of his life in Kuwait, enduring extreme heat and doing hard work. He had held onto one dream throughout those years: to provide a better life for his family and secure a bright future for his children. As part of fulfilling that dream, he hoped to move to a developed country like Canada, earn more, and support his family better. But that very dream has now turned into the biggest nightmare of his life.

The incident began in August of last year. One day, while browsing social media, he came across an advertisement that read, “An opportunity to go to Canada at low cost.” The ad lured him into a trap, and that’s where his misfortune began.

Speaking to Prothom Alo over the phone last Wednesday, Afaz Uddin said, “In the first week of August, I contacted the number listed in the Facebook ad. A man on the other end introduced himself as Asadul Islam. He assured me that he was currently in Canada and could arrange for me to go there quickly from Kuwait. He said I would earn Tk 400,000 to 500,000 a month in Canada. I believed him. I handed over all the savings I had made over years of hard work abroad.”

Afaz Uddin added that he also borrowed money from relatives and acquaintances. Altogether, using both savings and loans, he gave Asadul a total of Tk 2.4 million.

According to the case statement, after their initial contact in August last year, Asadul demanded money until December under the pretense of visa processing costs. After sending the money to several mobile banking (bKash) numbers provided by Asadul, Afaz Uddin began to experience anxiety and distress. He repeatedly tried to contact Asadul, who kept assuring him that the visa would arrive soon. Eventually, the phone number was found to be switched off.

When Prothom Alo tried to call the number mentioned in the case, it was initially unreachable. Later, on the evening of 4 June, the number was active again. When asked about the fraud allegations, the person on the other end claimed, “I am not Asadul. My name is Hanif.” He then hung up.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Roksana Akter, Afaz Uddin’s wife, said the man had introduced himself as Asadul and refused multiple requests to speak over video call. She lives in Rayerbagh, Dhaka, with their two sons and a daughter. Their household relied solely on the money her husband sent from abroad. Trying to come up with Tk 2.4 million has nearly left the family destitute.

Roksana said, “Four years ago, our eldest daughter Rabeya died from illness. We spent Tk 800,000 on her treatment. Now another Tk 2.4 million has been lost in this scam. On top of that, we’re paying interest on the loans we took.”

When contacted, Omar Faruq Faruqi, Chief Public Prosecutor (PP) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, told Prothom Alo that the CID should identify and arrest every member of the fraud ring using the bKash numbers mentioned in the case. He stated that several individuals are likely involved.

Faruqi emphasised that each member of such organised fraud rings must be brought to justice. He warned, “No one should invest money after seeing flashy ads on social media. People should only go abroad through licensed agencies that are officially authorised and regularly send workers. That way, the risk of being defrauded is much lower.”