Three Bangladeshi nationals who arrived in Tonga last August after paying a businessman who promised them good jobs, higher salaries and a better life, had their dreams shattered when they found out the reality.

The three told Matangi Tonga Online that they had run away from a Tongan employer who had beaten them and locked them up in her Nuku'alofa home, where they made roti and samosa to sell to schools, and occasionally sewed clothes, including police uniforms.

"We have escaped from hell," they said, looking pitiful after turning up in our office on March 10.

They claim their nightmare started after they taken in by a Bangladeshi businessman who took their money and sent them to Tonga to stay with his Tongan wife, who runs a company called Pacific Group of Business Ltd., of Nuku'alofa. They showed a document in receipt of money they paid to the company although it does not state what the money was for.

Since they arrived on August 20, 2005 to work for the company, they claim, ...“we have not been paid, and we have been driven to work long hours like slaves,...” said Sadik Ahmed (33), a tailor.

Abdul Miuntagim (32), the youngest of the three men, who says he is an accountant, said that in June last year in Bangladesh they met another Bangladeshi Masod Ahamed Khan, now an Australian citizen, who is the chairman of the Pacific Group of Business Ltd., a Tongan registered company. Abdul paid Masod 438,250 Taka, in order to come to Tonga, and after that he had to pay his own airfare.

During June last year Saleh Ahmed (39) also a tailor, and Sadik Ahmed paid Masod 100,000 Taka, and were also willing to pay for their own airfares to Tonga.

Abdul said that in return Masod promised them employment in his company with a salary of $600 pa'anga a month, and said their accommodation and food would be provided by the company.

Locked up

Abdul claimed that since their arrival in August up to the end of February they had been working but had never been paid any salaries. They claimed that they had been locked up in a home in Pahu belonging to Suini, wife of Masod, and that they were not allowed to go anywhere but had to just work and sleep. They were given food and a room.

Sadik said that in December when Masod came to Tonga, they met and the three workers demanded their money back, plus their salaries due to them. Masod promised that he would pay them, but then he left for Australia without paying anything.

Abdul said they contacted a lawyer, Leisina Tonga, who wrote to Suini, but on the day Suini received the letter, "she poked Sadik in the eyes and then locked us up in our room".

The three ran away from Suini's home in February, and have been taken in by another Tongan home.

Mistreatment denied

Matangi Tonga Online contacted Sione Falemanu, the signatory on a letter of employment held by the three workers. Sione is responsible for Administration and Human Resource of the Pacific Group of Business Ltd. He is also Tonga's Superintendent of Prisons.

Sione calmly denied the claims of mistreatment made by the men.

Sione said that he had discussions with the three men, but with regards to their salaries, he was informed by Masod that their salaries had been paid straight to their families in Bangladesh, and while they were in Tonga the company was only responsible for their accommodation, meals and a bit of pocket money.

Suini, a shareholder in the company and wife of Masod, the chairman of the company, also denied the claims.

Suini said that, "Abdul is the trouble maker, because he claims to be an accountant but he does not know anything about accounting, and I want to send him back home. The other two are tailors, and they have only just established their tailoring business, and now they are not working and are demanding money for their airfares."

Homesick

Suini added that she felt sorry for Saleh because he had been homesick since he arrived.

Suini did not want to talk about the workers because she believed there was an assault case against her in the courts. However, she said that her husband who knew more about the agreement he made with his countrymen was due to return from Australia soon.

Meanwhile, Saleh Ahmed, who is a married man with a wife and son back home, told Matangi Tonga Online that he is absolutely shattered by the experience and all he wants is his air fare back home. Recently someone hit him while he was walking on the road and he is living in fear.