Another female worker rescued in Saudi after alleging torture in video

Hosna Akhter, an expat female worker in Saudi Arabia has been rescued in Saudi Arabia after she sent a video message to her husband describing physical and mental torture inflicted by her employer.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and state minister M Shahriar Alam talked to officials concerned at Bangladesh Mission in Saudi Arabia and took prompt steps to rescue her after the video message went viral on social media, said an official familiar with the matter on Monday night.

Family members said around 20 days ago, Hosna, wife of Shafiullah of Habiganj, went to Saudi Arabia through an agent working for the recruiting agency ‘Al-Sara Overseas’.

She was being tortured by the employer since reaching Saudi Arabia on 6 November.

Watching the video, Shafiullah rushed to broker Shahin Mia and his recruiting agency office but they demanded Tk 200,000 to return his wife, he said.

Brac’s Migration Programme chief Shariful Hasan said victim’s husband Shafiullah applied to them for help on 24 November.

The recruiting agency and the broker are continuously threatening his family, Shafiullah alleged.

Earlier on 15 November, Bangladeshi worker Sumi Akhter, daughter of Md Rafiqul Islam of Panchagarh’s Boda upazila, returned home from Saudi Arabia after a video of seeking help went viral on social media.

She went to Saudi Arabia as a domestic help on 30 May.