A manpower exporting company called Metro Trade International took money from many customers by promising to send them to Saudi Arabia. But he did not arrange to send the money abroad. Those who have already been sent by Saudi, have also not been given valid work permits. Alleging such fraud, the victims have formed a human chain demanding compensation. More than half a hundred victims took part in this human chain in front of the Metro Trade International office on Saturday.

Registration number of Metro Trade International is RL-374. The company’s office is on the fourth floor of Khan Tower, Plot No. 51, Sonargaon Janpath Road, Sector No. 7, Uttara of the capital.

Victims who took part in the human chain complained that those who went to Saudi through the agency had to live an inhumane life because they were not given valid work permits. Many have returned to the country after being detained by the police. And those who did not get the visa despite depositing money, when they asked for the money back, the officials of the organization are carrying out terrorist activities like taking signatures on white papers by detaining them, beating them and intimidating them.

The victims said that Nazrul Islam and Mofizul Islam are brothers. By opening that company called Metro Trade International, they have grabbed several crores of rupees from many people. Apart from this, they have extorted huge amount of money from various people by showing the lure of high salary jobs.

A person named Belayet Hossain said that Nazrul Islam (the owner of the establishment) took Tk 16 lakh in cash from him last January by giving a total of five people including one of his female relatives work visas in Saudi Arabia. Even after seven months of payment, the visa could not be issued. Last June, he went to the company’s office to ask for the money back. At that time, Nazrul Islam along with the workers beat him and split his head. His signature was taken on a white paper.

Md. Another victim named Moniruzzaman said, ‘In 2019, Nazrul and his brother Mofizul Islam sent nine people I know to Saudi Arabia with Tk 23 lakh. However, they were not given valid work permits. The Saudi Arabian government later canceled the visas of the nine. One of them was arrested by the country’s police. The man later served jail time and returned to the country. The company offered them jobs as airport cleaners. But they are made to work in construction and chicken farms.

Abul Hossain, the father of one of the victims named Russell, said that they sent his son to Saudi Arabia a month ago with three and a half lakh taka. A few days ago, the son (Russell) called and said that he was detained in a house in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. No work arrangements have been made. The boy is spending his life without eating. He wants his son back.

A person named Billal Hossain said that the owner of Metro Trade International took Tk 40 lakh from him for sending people to Saudi Arabia. Now they are not giving money, nor are they making arrangements to send it abroad. He was beaten for asking for money instead. He said, “I am complaining to the police station and filed a case in the court. Now two brothers Nazrul Islam and Mofizul Islam are threatening to kill me.

The victims present in the human chain sought the government’s cooperation in recovering compensation from Metro Trade International and demanded exemplary punishment by arresting the directors of the company.