They had sought sanctuary at their overseas mission. They went on hunger strike to demand for their unpaid salaries.

It was last Friday - Day 5 of their hunger strike - that the 110 Bangladeshi 'refugees' were attacked by a dozen of unknown men under the cover of darkness.

According to migrant support group Tenaganita, the attack happened inside the grounds of the Bangladesh High Commission in Jalan Ampang with the help from the mission's staff members.

"More than 10 agents with the support of commission staff beat up the workers and forcefully took the workers in two buses to an unknown destination," said Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez.

She said it was only with the immediate intervention of Tenaganita that the police were able to bring the workers back and put them under the care of her organisation.

Situation became tense

The workers were employed by PTC Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, a labour recruiter cum contractor registered and approved by the Home Ministry.

"The negotiations for alternative employment and payment of six months wages have been going on for a month together with the Home Ministry and the Labour Department. However, the situation became very tense on Sept 14," said Fernandez.

The high commission subsequently called the Immigration Department and the police to intervene.

According to Fernandez (left), the police called for a meeting with all involved parties including Tenaganita and the lawyers representing the workers.

"The meeting decided that the Labour Department will handle the issue of wages, alternative employment will be given, and that PTC Asia Pacific will see to the welfare of workers while the case is being settled."

But soon after this, the attack happened.

"We condemn the violence perpetrated at the workers by the agents inside the premises of the high commission. We are deeply concerned over the cooperation given by staff to the recruiting agents to attack the workers. Why did the high commission allow the agents to beat up the workers?" asked Fernandez.

She also questioned the commitment of the Bangladesh High Commission in protecting their nationals in Malaysia.

"The situation will turn for the worse and become ugly if there is no proactive action from the Bangladesh government in Dhaka. There has to be a review on the capacity of the consular services that should include the provision of special services for workers who are in Malaysia."

Akin to human trafficking

The problems faced by the Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, including non-payment of salary, are widespread.

"Tenaganita alone has more than 12 cases consisting over 5,000 workers. There are another 4,000 over workers stranded at KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport). This is only the tip of the iceberg."

The human rights activist said that the current practise of recruitment where foreign workers are brought in by agents and their labour are outsourced to various factories borders on human trafficking.

"Workers are brought, passports taken away, held in captive, beaten and abused with no employment."

Fernandez urged both the Malaysian and Bangladeshi governments to review the recruitment and employment of the workers.

In June, Malaysia was blacklisted by the United States for the first time for its failure to take concrete action against human trafficking.

The country joined other offenders - among them, Burma, North Korea and Sudan - in the US State Department's annual 'Trafficking in Persons Report'.