The Bangladeshi worker who was found dead in a deserted house at Laamu Atoll Gan Island in the Maldives on Thursday had been murdered by his employer, claimed his family that is still in darkness about what happened to the victim’s body.

The family of victim Bassam, also known as Badsha Miyan, brought allegations that Badsha’s killing might have been masterminded by the caretaker and employer cum owner of the uninhibited house where Badsha was found dead on 11 June.

The victim’s brother, Masud Rana, informed that Badsha’s visa had been expired when the house owner, Thoha Waheed, offered him a job promising to settle his visa issues.

‘He started to work for his new employer on 1 June, and on 11 June we received an SMS from Maldives that he was dead,’ Rana said implicating that it was a murder.

Family received message about his death from his employer’s daughter two days ago, added Rana.

He also confirmed that his brother did not have any dispute with anyone in Maldives.

As per his routine conversation with family members, Badsha last talked to his family on 9 June at about 11:00pm.

To make the situation more unbearable to the victim’s family, there is still no authentic information about whether Badsha’s body will be sent back to country or not, though about 72 hours have already passed.

‘It’s been two days since we heard his death news, but we still don’t know whether he has been buried or not,’ said Alamin Hossain Arif, the nine-grader son of the victim who was a resident of Jamalpur.

Arif poignantly added, ‘Friends of my fathers in Maldives tried to bring the body only to be refused by the house owner who said “it is the rule here to bury the dead where they die”.’

The victim’s family could not contact Bangladeshi High Commission in Maldives. They also tried to contact Badsha’s employer who could not be reached over phone.

Badsha’s acquaintances, who are also from Bangladesh, in Maldives failed to confront police to query about his burial since they themselves do not have valid documents to live there, said family sources.

However, the relatives came to know vaguely from unverified sources in Maldives that he had been buried in a local graveyard.

Bangladeshi High Commission to Maldives could not be reached for comments in this regard.

Media reports said, quoting the caretaker of the house, Ishag Yoosuf, the house owner had allowed the victim to stay in that uninhibited house.

The house was said to have no toilet, and Badsha was sleeping on the veranda, a fact that proved how workers are treated by employers there.

But, house-owner, Thoha Waheed, denied the allegations.

It was reported that Badsha was lying face up on the veranda. His face was covered with a pillow. The pillow was all bloodied. The right side of his face was smashed.

Maldives police said the murder had occurred 24 hours before the body was discovered. The team was said to be investigating the case.

Badsha’s death is the third apparent murder of Bangladeshi workers this year.

In 22 March, a 25-year-old Bangladeshi named Shaheen Mia was stabbed to death in a Malé café.

Some 124,000 immigrant workers live in Maldives, the immigration department has said. Some 30,000 are not documented.