Bahrain Rights Groups Condemn Ban On New Visas For Bangladeshi Workers
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May 28, 2008 8:55 p.m. EST
Sandeep Singh Grewal – AHN Middle East Correspondent
Manama, Bahrain (AHN) – Human rights activists have condemned the Bahrain government’s move to ban visas for new Bangladeshi workers in the country.
The action came after a Bangladeshi mechanic allegedly murdered a Bahraini, Mohammed Jassim Dossary, when tempers flared during an altercation on Friday. The mechanic allegedly cut Dossary’s throat using an electric grinder.
Bahrain Rights Groups Condemn Ban On New Visas For Bangladeshi Workers
ShareThis
May 28, 2008 8:55 p.m. EST
Sandeep Singh Grewal – AHN Middle East Correspondent
Manama, Bahrain (AHN) – Human rights activists have condemned the Bahrain government’s move to ban visas for new Bangladeshi workers in the country.
The action came after a Bangladeshi mechanic allegedly murdered a Bahraini, Mohammed Jassim Dossary, when tempers flared during an altercation on Friday. The mechanic allegedly cut Dossary’s throat using an electric grinder.
“This shameful decision by the authorities is against the Islamic laws. They are punishing the entire country for an individual’s action,” Nabeel Rajab, vice president of the defunct Bahrain Center for Human Rights, told AHN.
Rajab said his organization had received several requests from regional and international NGOs to launch a petition calling on the authorities to reconsider their decision.
“I am coordinating with some networks and signatures are been collected for the petition which will be sent to the Bahrain leadership,” he said. “We will fight against the racist attack against the Bangladeshis.”
The same views were echoed by Abdulla Al Derazi, general secretary of the Bahrain Human Rights Society.
“If a Bahraini commits crime in UK and they decide to deport all Bahrainis, how would our authorities feel?,” said Al Derazi. “There are criminal elements in every society but collective punishment for a country is against human rights principles. This is the second largest community here and such discriminatory actions are not acceptable.”
More than 86,000 Bangladeshis live in Bahrain.
Bangladeshi officials have expressed concern about the decision. According to sources, Dhaka’s foreign advisor, Iftekher Chowdhury, has urged Bahraini officials to reconsider their decision. But sources claim the Bangladesh embassy here and the Dhaka government have not yet been officially notified of the visa ban.
The Bangladesh Embassy’s Counsellor and Charge d’affaires, Saiful Islam, met on Tuesday with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nizar Al Baharna.
“We do not want to create chaos in the country and affect the working environment. The ban issue will be discussed at higher levels,” Al Baharna told AHN after the meeting.
The Al Asala (Conservative Sunni) bloc in parliament has urged authorities to implement a yearly or quarterly quota system for Bangladeshi nationals to work in the country.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7011095823
