Libya Middle Eastern country led by Col Muammar Gaddafi, is oil rich country and at present is at war with western country, led by NATO and UK. The unrest in Libya started soon after the uprising in Egypt that saw President Hosni Mubbarak ousted from the power and is in danger of being indicted in the international criminal court. So far, it is our assessment that Muammer Gaddafi who ruled the country a little bit more than four decades, will be treading in the path of Hosni Mubbarak.
As oil rich country, there are many migrant workers especially from Afghanistan,Pakistan,Bangladesh, Philippine,Vietnam and many other countries, working in Libya. From Bangladesh alone about more than thirty five thousand workers work there of which mostly are labor group working in oil companies and building construction work. Apart from this group there is also Doctors, Engineers but the percentage is very small. After the war started between two groups :the pro democratic forces and pro Gaddafi forces, the nation got divided into two parts :the East and the West, The eastern portion is being controlled by the Pro democratic forces and the western parts is controlled by Pro Gaddafi forces. With each group trying harder with heavy weapons and artillery to take control of the vital oil rich city like Sirat, Misrat, Ajabadya, and Ralanuf as a result there is heavy casualty of civilian lives, coupled with food and medicine shortage. The situation started getting worst when UN imposed no-fly zone in Libya and NATO and UK fighters started bombing Libya. Thousands of people left the country and took refuge on the border of Tunisia, Egypt and Malta. Many Bangladeshis were trapped and asked Bangladesh Govt for help to be evacuated. Some Bangladeshi worker managed to escape risking their lives and the few were rescued by the chartered planes, arranged by the Bangladeshi Government with the help of international helping agency ICRC and IOM. In total four thousand worker have been repatriated till middle of march. There are still more left waiting in the Tunisian border who are yet to be evacuated. And some are trying to go to some other places knowing that their future in their country is bleak, as it holds nothing for them.
Most of the workers who went to Libya are poor and sold their last pieces of their properties in hope to earn money for their family and to lead a better life, with education to their children, access to better health care and meet two meals a day. However, unfortunately all their hopes have been dashed and are now gropping in the darkness in search of light.
The ministry of work force recently said that all who returned home empty handed would be rehabilitated. The country itself is overburden with unemployment. Where and how these people will be rehabilated is not clearly explained as these workers are skilled in some particular field like carpentry, masonry etc. Does the Government have any comprehensive program to rehabilitate the repatriated workers or is it simply the statement for consolation is yet to be seen.
To rehabilitate the repatriated workers Government may think of giving these unfortunate people micro credit to start with a small shop or poultry firm while side by side continuing the diplomatic efforts to get back their dues left with companies they worked under and get assurance to get back the job as soon as the situation gets normal.. The Government may recover the land that mortgaged their land and left forLibya; lend soft term loan to cultivate their land. Government also may think of introducing the ration system until they overcome the crisis period. Another way of rehabilitant these repatriated workers is to provide them with the job on work charge basis in railway department where they are running short of staff. They can also be employed in traffic police, BSG formerly BDR after imparting short-term training. They can also think of giving them the appointment as ward boy in the hospital or upazilla health complex. They can also make their children’s education free. Books pencil and papers may be supplied free. They can also be engaged in food for work program (FFW).If these steps are implemented then, one can hope that the repatriated workers will not only be free from agony but will also get the moral boost to work more hard and try to do something, which will be of great relief to their family.
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