"Slavery kingdom" discovered after cyclone in Bangladesh

by Huang Yanan

DHAKA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Cyclone "Sidr" which attacked Bangladesh on Nov. 15 not only made thousands of people dead, hundreds of thousands homeless, but also helped discover a "slavery kingdom" in the most isolated place of the country.

Dublar Char, the first place attacked by "Sidr," is situated in the southern tip of Bagerhat district, 260 km south of capital Dhaka, within Sundarbans natural reserve.

The Sundarbans, a world heritage site, has the largest mangrove forest in the world.

Dublar Char consists of six islands where there are no permanent inhabitants. All the people living in Dublar Char are fishermen employed by owners of trawlers. The fishermen live there from October to February next year during the fishing season.

Nobody knows how many fishermen living in Bublar Char. Nobody knows how many fishermen died during the cyclone.

When visiting Dublar Char after the cyclone, what impressed people most was not the miserable situation caused by the cyclone, but the miserable life of the fishermen.

The fishermen live a isolated life. They don't know each other except their owners. They work about 16 hours a day -- no enough food, no warm clothes. At night 20 to 30 people huddled in a cottage less than 10 square meters.

Babu was injured in the cyclone. He told Xinhua that his owner didn't take him to the doctor because the owner didn't want to spend any money on him.

"I don't have money, so I can't afford to see a doctor," he said.

Babu is from southeastern Chittagong district. Before he came to Bublar Char, the owner gave his family one month salary of 3,500 taka (about 50 U.S. dollars). After the fishing season finishes, the owner will pay the balance.

Babu said the owners not allow the fishermen to take money to the islands in case they will escape.

All the people living in Bublar Char are male, from nine years old to over 70. There is no electricity, no clean water, no any sign of modern world.

Most of the fishermen told Xinhua that they lived like slaves. In this isolated place, owners are "kings". They have sovereign powers to the fishermen. The fishermen belong to the owners. They will be beaten if they complain and refuse to work.

Some fishermen could not bear this inhuman life and tried to escape. If being caught, they would be beaten and persecuted.

One Navy officer told Xinhua they rescued one fishermen when patrolling the Sundarbans. The fishermen had hidden in the jungle for four days without eating any food.

Abdul is another fishermen who was saved by the Navy. He told Xinhua his life is miserable. He was so frightened after the cyclone, then he ran away.

"We were on the sea when the cyclone came. Our trawler was overturned. Twelve of 35 people in our trawler are still missing," he said.

"It is so terrible. I dared not living there. I want to go home," he said.

The local government knows the situation in Dublar Char and is trying to do something for the fishermen.

Assistance Deputy Commissioner of Bagerhat district Abu. Shafattold Xinhua they were asking the owners to treat fishermen well. Since Bublar Char is a remote place, the owners always ignore any order from the government.

Shafat said the owners become millionaire or billionaire through exploiting the fishermen.

"We want to punish some owners. But when we file cases against them, it's difficult to get witness," he said.

"The fishermen are so scared of the owners. They are afraid of being retaliated," he said.

The cyclone made Dublar Char become well known. The relief goods are transported by Navy ship and helicopter to the isolated place.

Bangladeshi President Iajuddin Ahmed and caretaker government Chief Adviser Fakhuddin Ahmed visited Bublar Char after the cyclone.

The survivors of Bublar Char may thank the cyclone, without which, their miserable stories cannot be known to the public yet.