Bangladeshis among 300 workers stuck in Dubai without wages, food
Many of them want to return home but their visas have expired.
Several hundred blue-collar workers, including an unspecified number of Bangladeshis, are passing a tough time in Dubai for not having been paid in months.
They currently do not have jobs and some of their visas have expired, making them illegal residents, reports the Khaleej Times.
Dar Al Ber Society (Dabs), a charity which is providing the workers food and medical facilities, has informed the consulates of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan about the situation.
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A Bangladeshi worker in his 30s, who has not been named, told the daily that they were forced to stop working months ago.
"We're penniless. Forget about sending money home, right now, we've no food to eat, our visas are expired and our passports are still with the employer, who has been making promises after promises that he would pay us soon," he said.
The worker said they cannot work elsewhere as they do not have their documents and they are unable to return home. The company made no arrangement to renew their visas.
Workers said the problem began just over a year ago when their salaries were delayed. Some say they have not been paid for three months, while some others say they went without salary for five or more months.
Most of the workers' salaries range in between 700-1,500 dirham (roughly Tk 16,000 and Tk 34,500).
The employer, who has not been named, promised to clear the dues at the earliest.
Speaking to the Khaleej Times, Indian Consul-General Vipul said the employer had informed them he had already dispatched one-month salary to some of the workers and would be arranging the dues of others soon.
Dabs distributed food items and conducted a medical camp at the workers' accommodation on Wednesday. Its CSR and charity expert Juhi Yasmeen Khan said they were informed about the situation by an Indian expat.
A worker told Khaleej Times that they had no money to buy food and described how they have to depend on the mercy of the passerby or nearby cafeterias for meals.
"It's too embarrassing to beg for food. We came here to work respectably ... not to beg or become illegal residents," he was quoted as saying.
UNB has contacted the Bangladesh consulate in Dubai for comments.
