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SHAH ALAM, Malaysia: Sixty people have been sleeping in a flat here with just one bathroom between them.
Two other flats have a similar situation.
All of them have been surviving on the barest of food with two suffering from jaundice and another vomiting blood.
The Bangladeshi are victims of an unscrupulous female employment agent who made empty promises to them about high salaries, comfortable accommodation and a better life.
But life has been a hellhole for these men who came into the country in batches since Nov 26. Thirty others who came with them were lucky enough to land jobs.
Moshiur Rahman, 32, said he arrived on Dec 2 with the hope of building a new life on the RM800 promised to him.
The farmer from Jaypurhat District said he never got the job nor any of the incentives he was assured.
He said the agent gave them a stove to cook rice and lentils that she supplied but "there are days when we went hungry".
"There would be food one day, then nothing for the next two days. We don't know when we will get our next meal."
Nuruzzaman Pada, 36, from Bargun District, said the men shared their meagre resources to buy more food.
"There is nothing we can do because the agent is holding our documents."
Frustrated with their plight, the workers held a protest outside the agent's office in Sri Alam yesterday. They dispersed after police assured them that they would look into the matter.
Sixty of the workers from one of the rented units were taken to Rawang at 2am, yesterday.
Shah Alam acting police chief Supt Shariff Abd Wahid said police were looking into the matter.
"We will be speaking to the agent and alerting the Bangladesh Embassy, the Immigration Department and the Human Resources Ministry."
Meanwhile, Selangor Immigration Director Che Mamat Abdullah said a team would be sent to interview the workers and agent.
He said the agent was required to provide housing, adequate food and transportation for the workers.
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