At least five women from ansar-village defence party (ansar-VDP), auxiliary law-enforcing agency, disclosed their horrifying experience of sexual harassment in Saudi Arabia.

However, the government believes these are very minor and stray incidents.

Moreover, the four recruiting agents, who sent female ansars to Saudi Arabia, have asked the government to take initiative to send more female ansars to the Middle East and other European countries.

An inter-ministerial meeting held at the home ministry yesterday discussed the problems and complaints of the female ansars working in Saudi Arabia. State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar chaired the meeting.

"Most of the female ansars returned on their own," a government official, who was present at the meeting, told reporters.

The official mentioned homesickness, work pressure and failure to adapt with the culture and food as reasons for their return.

The official said the number of sexually harassed ansars are not over two to three.

The meeting also formed a four-member committee headed by the additional secretary of the foreign ministry to look into the problems of the female ansars.

"Committee members will talk to the ansars, the recruiting agents, ansar officials and will fly, if need be, to Saudi Arabia and talk with Saudi officials and the employers to find a remedy," the source said. The committee will submit its report in 45 days.

As many as 406 female ansars were sent to Saudi Arabia to do household work and 19 of them came back, the meeting was told.

"India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines see a rate of 25 percent return in such cases. In comparison with that rate, ours is much low. It is only 5 percent," said the government official.

The government, following its June 19 decision, sent 150 ansar-VDP women aged between 25 and 30 years to Saudi Arabia to work as housemaids in July, giving them a one-month training at Shafipur Ansar Academy.

The women, assured of 400 rials a month, had to pay Tk 35,000 each to recruiting agencies for arranging their travel to Saudi Arabia.

State minister for Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Mohammed Quamrul Islam, Home Secretary Safar Raj Hossain, the director general of ansar, and representatives of four recruiting agents were present at the meeting.