142 Bangladeshi health workers in trouble in Libya

As many as 142 Bangladeshi doctors, nurses and other health professionals are living in dire conditions having received no salary for seven months after travelling to Libya drawn by the prospect of higher wages.

They travelled to the war-torn country in June 2023 with job visas under the health ministry, but have not yet got a single month’s salary while facing problems in housing and other issues.

The plight of these workers came to light after bdnews24.com received an email from one of the affected individuals last week. Subsequent contact with several others confirmed the dire situation of the Bangladeshi health workers in the North African country.

All of them have requested not to be named for this story because of security concerns.

Officials at the Embassy of Bangladesh in Libya said they are working on the issue and hope for an early settlement.

Libya reopened its labour market in 2022 following a prolonged shutdown caused by war and political instability. The country has been actively seeking workers from various nations to aid in the reconstruction of its sectors, with Bangladeshis being particularly sought after for their skills and labour.

A Libyan delegation visited Bangladesh in January last year for the intake of workers under their health ministry. The Alamal Alibiya Company for Medical Services selected 157 workers after interviewing the candidates.

They recruited the workers through Ezzy Services and Resource Management Limited and M/S Azure Bengal Limited with government permission.

The government approved the appointment of 88 through a letter on Jun 20 and 69 others on Jun 22.

Among the 157, a total of 142 doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and medical technologists in several groups went to Libya to work at government hospitals.

Ministry documents showed that the doctors were supposed to be paid up to $2,200 a month while the nurses’ salaries were fixed between $650 and $900.

One of the doctors said they were not getting salaries and other benefits mentioned in the contracts for seven months after they had arrived in Libya. The hospitals are paying a lump sum for food, but it is difficult to pay the daily living cost with that money.

“Our families in Bangladesh are suffering financially and mentally along with us,” the doctor said.

Another doctor alleged their recruiting agency in Libya was avoiding them after they informed the company about the issue.

They also contacted the Bangladesh Embassy there. “Even the embassy appears to be annoyed after pressuring the agency for some time. We’re not getting the help we expect from them.”

A health worker said most of them are yet to get legal documents, which means they are staying almost illegally in Libya. The country is taking more health workers from Bangladesh even though the problems of those already in the country have not been solved.

“Our hospitals, the health ministry here and the Bangladesh Embassy do not know when we will get our salaries. They are reassuring us of a settlement, but it has not happened yet. We’re living like hostages.

“The Libyan recruiting agency and some others threaten to silence us when we complain somewhere or write something about the issue.”

Mohammad Adnan, managing director of recruiting agency Ezzi’s Bangladesh chapter, claimed the allegation that the health workers are not getting salaries for seven months is “partly true”.

“They are on probation now. Their residency permit and bank cards are supposed to be ready after the end of the probation period. Their salaries will go to their accounts after that. Now they are getting 1,000 to 2,500 dinars as pocket money. The expatriates’ welfare ministry, the foreign ministry and others are aware of the matter,” he told bdnews24.com.

Adnan said the Bangladesh Embassy is dealing with the matter. “We assumed that everyone was aware of the issue when they gave us a demand letter.

“A team from the Libyan health ministry came to Bangladesh and chose the health workers. We came to know about the probation period after they had travelled to Libya. We informed the Bangladesh Embassy and the health ministry there about the matter. They said many of the health workers got residence cards and their jobs became permanent after the probation period.

“We have information that the salaries will be transferred to their accounts this month.”

The health workers said they got 2,000 dinars, or Tk 38,000, so far.

Shahadat Kabir, an official at M/S Azur Bengal Limited’s marketing department, said they are aware of the salary issue. Generally, salaries are paid three months after arrival in Libya, but there is a delay this time.

“It’s taking more time now. We didn’t know this. We sent them in good faith. So far we know, they will get their salaries within this month.”

Maj Gen Abul Hasnat Muhammad Khairul Bashar, the ambassador of Bangladesh in Libya, said he discussed the problems of the health workers with the Libyan health minister and deputy prime minister in November after being informed about the issue in October.

The Libyan health minister ordered an official to look into the issue during the meeting. As the matter remained unresolved after a month, the ambassador contacted the Libyan director general of human resources.

“He said they were having some problems and promised to clear the payments before the end of the year [2023]. But it hasn’t been resolved yet,” Hasnat said.

Another Libyan official was called to the embassy and he asked to contact their finance ministry.

The official also said there were problems in taking the payment process forward because the Bangladeshi doctors and nurses were not signing the contracts. The embassy later settled the contract issue.

The director general of the Asia wing at the Libyan foreign ministry talked to the health ministry and informed the ambassador that the ministry could not pay the workers because the finance ministry did not give the funds.

The ambassador again informed the Libyan health minister about the issue in a letter on Jan 30.

The minister asked the hospitals in a letter on Feb 12 to solve the problems regarding Bangladeshi doctors and health workers’ due salaries and housing.

“We are informing the foreign ministry about the updates. I hope the problems will be solved soon,” the ambassador said.

Asked if it would be wise to send more workers to Libya in this situation, Hasnat referred to the lack of security and stability in Libya, and said: “The demand for Bangladeshi workers is high because they work sincerely, but we are not encouraging, or discouraging our workers to go there.”

“The doctors are divided on the matter. Some say they want to come no matter what. We told them that they need to take responsibility if they want to come.”

Saleh Ahmed Mozaffar, director general of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, did not take phone calls for comment.