A Bangladeshi woman who fled a scam centre in Cambodia is set to return home within a week, while seven Bangladeshi workers in Iraq have recovered their confiscated passports, both outcomes secured through the personal intervention of Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment said Saturday that the 34-year-old woman, who escaped her captors on May 20, contacted Minister Ariful directly via WhatsApp the following morning from an undisclosed location, appealing for help to return home.
According to the ministry, the woman had travelled to Cambodia in August 2025 through a local travel agency after being promised computer-based work and a high salary. Upon arrival, her passport was seized and she was confined to a scam centre, where she was forced to carry out online financial fraud, including swindling money through mobile and internet platforms.
Despite multiple failed attempts to escape, she finally slipped past her captors on May 20. After receiving her WhatsApp call, the minister immediately directed the labour counsellor at the Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok to provide assistance. Embassy officials confirmed her whereabouts through a video call and, with support from the Bangladeshi community in Cambodia, rescued her from the capital Phnom Penh on Thursday.
The ministry said travel pass arrangements are currently underway in coordination with the Cambodian government to facilitate her return.
Passports Recovered in Iraq
In a separate development, seven Bangladeshi workers in Iraq recovered their passports on Thursday after the Bangladesh Embassy intervened following a complaint lodged on May 20.
Acting on the minister's directive, embassy officials investigated and found the passports had been withheld by a company employing the workers. Following their recovery, the workers said they wished to continue their employment in Iraq and had independently arranged their own work.
In another Iraq case, two Bangladeshi workers: Riju Mia and Aylan Mia were repatriated on May 7 following a complaint by their families alleging physical abuse and food deprivation at the hands of brokers. Embassy officials located the two men at a rented building in Baghdad's Arasat residential area, though they found no evidence of physical mistreatment or food deprivation.
The duo were nonetheless returned to Bangladesh through their recruiting agency at their own request, with embassy support.