After returning from Bahrain in a physically and mentally distressed condition, the 53-year-old could not recall her family members’ names or contact details; BRAC traced her two sisters and reunited them after more than three decades.
Lilufa Begum (left), who returned to Bangladesh after 32 years in Bahrain, is embraced by one of her sisters after they were reunited at a BRAC centre in Dhaka. Photo: Courtesy
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Lilufa Begum (left), who returned to Bangladesh after 32 years in Bahrain, is embraced by one of her sisters after they were reunited at a BRAC centre in Dhaka. Photo: Courtesy
A 53-year-old Bangladeshi woman who recently returned from Bahrain with a psychologically broken mind after spending 32 years abroad has been finally reunited with her sisters in Manikganj with support from Brac.
Lilufa Begum, from Sahrail village in Singair Upazila, returned to Bangladesh on Wednesday (11 November). She had left for Bahrain in 1994 to work as a domestic worker, according to a Brac press release that cited her family members.
They said she worked there for around four years but initially received no wages, as a broker pocketed her earnings. Later, her younger brother found her in Bahrain, and she began living with him and sending money to their parents.
Around 16 years ago, Lilufa returned briefly to Bangladesh on leave before going back to Bahrain. After that, her family lost contact with her.
Lilufa Begum, who returned to Bangladesh after 32 years in Bahrain, speaks with a BRAC official at the organisation’s learning centre in the capital’s Uttara. Photo: Courtesy
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Lilufa Begum, who returned to Bangladesh after 32 years in Bahrain, speaks with a BRAC official at the organisation’s learning centre in the capital’s Uttara. Photo: Courtesy
About three months ago, the brother came to Bangladesh to attend his daughter’s wedding. He told the family that Lilufa was mentally unwell and was wandering the streets. The family had no further contact with her.
On Wednesday, according to the release, Lilufa arrived in Bangladesh with physical and mental health problems and was unable to recall her family’s names or contact details. The expatriates’ welfare desk at the airport referred her to Brac’s Migration Welfare Centre.
Brac arranged an ambulance to take her to its Learning Centre in Uttara, where staff provided personal care, clothes, essential supplies, and a safe place to stay.
After talking to her for a long time, Brac officials learned from her that Singair was her home area. Based on that information, Brac’s Manikganj Migration and Reintegration Support Centre traced her sisters, Mazeda Begum and Shamsunnahar.
They travelled to Dhaka and were reunited with Lilufa around 10pm Wednesday.
Brac Migration Programme Associate Director Shariful Hasan contacted Mahfuzur Rahman, first secretary (labour) at the Bangladesh Embassy in Bahrain, to learn about her circumstances.
According to the embassy, Bahraini police had rescued Lilufa from the streets while she was wandering in the streets in a mentally unstable condition. As she did not have valid documents, she was sent to prison and later repatriated to Bangladesh with a travel pass.
Before her repatriation, the embassy had contacted her brother, but he declined to take responsibility for her, said Shariful.
He said Brac had handed Lilufa, who had spent 32 years abroad hoping to improve the lives of her parents and siblings, over to her family and wanted to ensure that she received treatment and support.
Shariful said Lilufa was still unable to speak normally and needed physical and mental healthcare. Describing her situation as unfortunate, he called on the state and society to support vulnerable returning migrants.
He also stressed the need for a coordinated framework to provide treatment, care and rehabilitation for migrants who return in poor health, distress or without contact with their families.
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