Another 109 Bangladeshis rescued from cyber scam compounds in Cambodia returned home Tuesday night, bringing the total number of repatriated victims from the Southeast Asian country to 583 in June.
The returnees arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 1:25am on a Thai Airways flight, according to a BRAC Migration Programme statement.
Over the past four days, authorities have brought back a total of 362 Bangladeshis from Cambodia. Officials from the Civil Aviation Security, the Expatriates' Welfare Desk and BRAC's Migration Programme provided the returnees with emergency assistance, counselling and financial support to help them travel to their homes.
One victim from Lakshmipur said a recruiting agency and a group of brokers lured him to Cambodia with the promise of a computer operator's job. He said he paid Tk530,000 for the job and obtained clearance from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).
After arriving in Cambodia, however, he received only a one-month visit visa. He alleged that Bangladeshi brokers received him at the airport and later sold him to a cyber scam compound instead of arranging a valid work visa.
Another returnee said operators at the compound forced victims to carry out online fraud targeting foreign nationals. He said supervisors beat victims, subjected them to physical abuse and administered electric shocks if they failed to meet assigned targets. He also claimed the compound had separate rooms where perpetrators carried out torture.
He said Cambodian law enforcement agencies recently raided the compound, prompting members of the criminal network to flee and allowing the victims to escape.
Shariful Hasan, associate director of BRAC Migration Programme and Youth Platform, said cyber scams have emerged as a dangerous form of human trafficking. Criminal networks lure Bangladeshis abroad with promises of high-paying jobs before forcing them into online fraud. He said those who fail to meet production targets often face physical and psychological abuse.
Shariful Hasan said recent operations by Cambodian authorities led to the rescue of the Bangladeshis from several scam compounds. He added that the return of 583 Bangladeshis in June highlights the scale of the trafficking network, while several victims have already filed cases. He urged authorities to identify the brokers, recruiting agencies and international trafficking syndicates involved and bring them to justice through a proper investigation.
According to BMET, 15,921 Bangladeshis travelled to Cambodia for work over the past 18 months. However, many returnees claimed thousands of Bangladeshis remain stranded there after failing to secure legitimate jobs or falling victim to trafficking.
They said traffickers had lured them abroad with promises of lucrative employment but later forced them into cyber fraud. BRAC said traffickers use fake websites, emails and social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram, to advertise attractive positions such as computer operator, call centre executive and customer service officer. After taking victims abroad, the traffickers confiscate their passports and mobile phones and force them to commit online fraud at gunpoint. The organisation urged jobseekers to verify employment offers, recruiting agencies and visa categories through the relevant government authorities before travelling to Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos or Vietnam for work.
