Hyderabadi woman falls prey to the nefarious designs of Arab employer

When her husband passed away during the Corona Lockdown, Zarina Begum was shattered. She had to bear the responsibility of the entire family. There was no work during Lockdown and whatever work she got brought only meager income. Zarina Begum was struggling but the worst was yet to come. Job agents who could see her vulnerability swooped down and cheated her in the name of a well-paying job in Sharjah. And Zarina Begum who thought her difficulties were over landed in the house of an Arab Sheikh who has been harassing her and making her toil like bonded labour.

Zarina Begum’s husband Shaik Babu died during Corona and Zarina was desperately looking for work. Hameed and Afreen, job agents in the Old City of Hyderabad, convinced Zarina that she would be getting a golden opportunity and sent her off to Sharjah last November. When she landed in Sharjah on November 16, another Agenct who received her handed her over to an Arab Sheikh. And thus began the nightmare for Zarina who became a servant in a family of 20. Toiling 20 hours a day, Zarina has become ill and weak and when she complained of sickness, the family beat her up and made her work. Zarina, who has burns from childhood on her body, found that her wounds were opening up again.

Severely infected and emaciated, Zarina is still facing torture from the family. Zarina’s mother Sultana Begum got to know of her daughter’s plight. In great distress, she has been begging everyone to help her bring her daughter back. She has now written a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs seeking urgent intervention to save her daughter.

Zarina Begum is one of the innumerable Muslim women who get cheated by crooked agents in Old City of Hyderabad and fall prey to the nefarious designs of Arab Sheikhs. As local politicians and the Govt ignore the critical issue, innocent women end up losing their security, health and even their life in unknown, hostile lands.