30 Bangladeshis return home after escaping Cambodia scam centres

Thirty Bangladeshis returned to Dhaka on Tuesday after being released from an immigration detention centre in Cambodia, where they had been held following their escape from scam centres.

They arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 12:10pm on Thai Airways flight TG-321.

The Wage Earners’ Welfare Board under the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment had earlier asked the Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok to secure their release and arrange their return.

In a letter signed by Mohammed Zakir Hossain, the board’s deputy director (IRP), the authorities were urged to act promptly following an application by the Anirban Survivor Voice Foundation.

The 30 Bangladeshis were among 32 detained at Phnom Penh airport on 3 September while trying to return home through procedures set by Cambodian authorities. They were held over immigration complications, including their alleged irregular stay, while two were later released.

The Bangladeshis had reportedly travelled to Cambodia through brokers who promised attractive salaries but were allegedly forced to work in online scam operations. Some workers were also reportedly tortured when they tried to escape.