(Feb. 01, 2012): In Bangladesh, a rights activist and Caritas have teamed up to
work for the safe return of 24 women, who were trafficked to Lebanon last year and
were sexually and physically abused, while employed as domestic workers. Rosaline
Costa, coordinator of Hotline Human Rights Bangladesh, along with Caritas Lebanon,
have so far succeeded in repatriating one of the women, Rajeda Begum, who returned
home last week. Costa said that this week, they were trying to repatriate the other
23 women currently being held by police, or receiving care at a Caritas Lebanon shelter.
All were lured by an agent from a local recruiting agency with the promise of a high
paying job in Lebanon. Begum and the others flew to Beirut on August 27 last year,
and within a few days her family at home lost contact with her. On 3 October she called
home and told her family she had been taken to a house upon arrival in Lebanon but
soon afterward was sexually assaulted and beaten up. She later managed to escape and
went to the Lebanese police, who took her into protective custody and later placed
her in the care of Caritas Lebanon. Costa severely condemned the agencies that sent
the women to Lebanon and said they should be prosecuted.