Cambodian job seekers trafficked, mastermind arrested

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police has arrested the mastermind of this gang on charges of trafficking a woman by promising her a high-paying job in Cambodia, forcibly snatching her passport and money, torturing her physically and mentally, and forcing her to engage in various illegal activities.
The CID confirmed the matter in a press release signed by Additional Special Superintendent of Police Abu Taleb on Thursday (July 23). The CID’s Human Trafficking Branch (THB) unit arrested him from Charbhadrasan police station area of ​​Faridpur district on the afternoon of July 21. The arrested person is Md. Rubel (29), son of Md. Siraj of Khagjana village of Kalukhali police station of Rajbari district.
According to the case report, a woman in financial crisis met Rubel, an employee of that NGO, while taking a loan from a local NGO. Later, Rubel promised to send her abroad by luring her with a high-paying job in customer care service in Cambodia.
According to the complaint, on Rubel’s advice, the victim took a loan of one lakh taka from the NGO. Later, Rubel kept the money and her passport with him. Then, more money was taken step by step, saying that she would send it abroad. By borrowing in various ways, the victim sent two lakh taka to the accused’s bank account. In total, four lakh taka was taken from her.
Then, in August 2025, the victim was sent to Cambodia. After reaching there, the members of the gang forcibly took her passport and the money she had with her. Later, she was transferred to various institutions and made to work according to her wishes, and the money she earned was embezzled.
The complaint further revealed that at one point, attempts were made to force the victim to participate in various illegal activities. When she did not agree to this, she was tortured physically and mentally. If she wanted to return to the country, she was threatened with death and sold to other brokers.
The victim tried to return to the country to escape the torture. With the help of BRAC Migration Program, BRAC Migration Welfare Center and international partners, he returned to Bangladesh on July 1. After returning home, he filed a case against the accused with legal assistance. During the investigation, the CID arrested Rubel after analyzing the victim’s information, evidence, documents and intelligence. Later, when he was produced in court, his statement was recorded on the court’s orders.
The CID said that the investigation is underway to identify other accused in this case, human trafficking network, financial transactions, potential victims living abroad and domestic and foreign associates. It is also being investigated whether any other Bangladeshis have been trafficked in the same way through the same ring. In this incident, the CID has called on the people to go abroad through the government-approved legal process, rather than being deceived by the lure of jobs abroad. The organization has also requested that if they receive any information about fraud, human trafficking or torture in the name of sending people abroad, it should be reported immediately to the law enforcement agencies or the CID.