The Bangladesh Mission in Abu Dhabi finally on Monday managed to trace the eight Bangladeshi workers who along with 120 others got stranded in a camp on the outskirts of Mohammed bin Zayed City when the Jordanian manager of their company ran away with their passports around six months back.(The Daily Star)

The company, Otaiba Al Gurg Contracting, is no longer in operation.

Meanwhile, Red Crescent authorities in the United Arab Emirates have stepped in to help the workers, including nationals from India and Nepal.

After The Daily Star informed the Bangladesh Mission in Abu Dhabi of the matter, the officials came to know about the incident and rushed to the camp.

“I have visited the place in person and met eight Bangladeshi workers,” Mohammad Moniruzzaman, labour councilor at the Bangladesh Mission in Abu Dhabi, told The Daily Star yesterday.

He said the workers went to the UAE in 2004 and served comfortably till the end of 2008, but suddenly their company collapsed.

The company, however, allowed all of them to find jobs at other companies. They also managed jobs for them, but the Jordanian manager of their company ran away along with the passports, Moniruzzaman said.

The workers then filed cases at the Labour Court and the verdict was in favour of them, he said, adding that the manager, however, is untraceable.

“So all are waiting for the passports only to switch to other companies,” he said. Apart from charity groups' assistance in food and healthcare, the Bangladesh Embassy has also given them some money to meet the exigencies.

"We are going to present ourselves at the court on the next date of hearing to expedite the matter," he told The Daily Star.

If the passports are not recovered, the Bangladesh Mission will issue new passports so that they can get visa and join other companies.

“I spoke to my wife today,” said Abdul Alim, one of the eight Bangladeshi workers.

“I told her not to worry because now we are in the capable hands of the Red Crescent,” he told The National, a newspaper in Abu Dhabi.