Deported Bangladeshi migrants recount hunger, abuse and shattered hopes
Saim Ahmed, 28, from Sylhet, spent Tk 70 lakh a year ago to reach the United States in search of a better life. Instead, he was flown back to Dhaka on Friday on a special US military flight along with 38 others, penniless.
"I used all my father's savings and sold our land. Now I don't know what to do," said Saim.
He said he had trusted two Canada-based brokers, Himel and Borhan, who promised to get him to America and secure a Green Card within six months.
Saim's journey began on November 20, 2024. He was taken to Qatar, then Canada, and finally to the US. He was arrested shortly after entering the country but released after two days. Six months later, he was arrested again and spent three months in a detention centre.
Nur Hossain from Chatkhil in Noakhali had a similar experience. He said he struck a Tk 40 lakh deal with a distant relative named Sohel, but was later forced to pay another Tk 25 lakh to reach the US.
Nur travelled through Brazil, Peru and Bolivia before reaching Colombia, where he and others were confined to a house for 28 days with little food. When they demanded better conditions, brokers moved them again.
In Guatemala, they were locked in a room, beaten and left hungry. Their passports were taken away. After 42 days, the brokers threatened to shoot them if they did not leave. Out of money, Nur and five others made a new deal with a Bangladeshi Mexican broker who took Tk 6 lakh from each of them.
Once in Mexico, they were handed over to yet another group. As soon as they crossed the US border on December 3 last year, they were arrested. Nur spent more than 10 months in different US prisons and returned on November 28 with nothing. In total, he spent around Tk 65 lakh.
"In every country, brokers sent photos and numbers of local agents on WhatsApp. Each step required new payments," he said.
Both Saim and Nur said they only wanted a better future, but instead endured fear, hunger and confinement before deportation. "We trusted them and lost everything. Our money, time and hope, everything is gone. No one should face this," Nur said.
Most passengers on the military flight had spent Tk 35 lakh to Tk 70 lakh. Many sold their last piece of land to fund the journey.
After landing in Dhaka, airport authorities and BRAC provided transport and emergency support. Among the 39 returnees, 26 were from Noakhali. Others came from Cumilla, Sylhet, Feni, Lakshmipur, Chattogram, Gazipur, Dhaka, Munshiganj and Narayanganj.
Earlier this year, 187 Bangladeshis had already been deported from the US.
According to BRAC's Migration Programme, at least 34 of the 39 migrants had travelled legally to Brazil before moving toward Mexico and entering the US without documents. The remaining five travelled directly to the US or through South Africa. After filing applications to stay in the US, their legal processes were completed and they were ordered to return.
Shariful Hasan, associate director of the BRAC Migration and Youth Platform, said, "Workers travelled legally to Brazil, but no one checked whether they had real jobs or were using the route to reach the US."
He warned that more people will suffer unless the responsible agencies are held accountable.
Following political changes in the US, deportations of undocumented migrants have increased. Several groups of Bangladeshis have been sent back in recent months. On June 8, a chartered flight returned 42 Bangladeshis. Between March 6 and April 21, at least 34 others were deported. From January to August, more than 220 Bangladeshis were deported.
