Bangladesh rights group seeks flights for citizens stranded in Cambodia

A rights group has urged Bangladesh to arrange special flights for citizens stranded in Cambodia, saying many cannot afford to return after allegedly falling victim to human trafficking.

Anirban Survivor Voice Foundation sent the appeal to government officials Sunday, The Financial Express reported, citing bdnews24.com. The group wants repatriation before an Oct. 31 deadline it described as the expiration of a waiver of visa-overstay fines.

The foundation said Cambodian authorities had received a list of 1,797 affected Bangladeshis, with around 400 others facing similar circumstances. Those figures are the group’s estimates, not an independently verified count.

It alleged that workers were coerced into online scam operations and subjected to confinement, passport confiscation, and abuse. High airfares and administrative obstacles hindered returns, it said, while calling for rehabilitation and action against trafficking networks.