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It's still very painful for me
Illegal Bangladeshi worker seeks compensation after he loses manhood in workplace accident
By Tan May Ping
December 17, 2008
FURTHER SURGERY: An NUH medical report in 2001 stated that Mr Md Mosharof had near total amputation of his penis. It was reconstructed and his urethra was reconnected. It stated that he would require further surgery at a later date. TNP PICTURES: KELVIN CHNG
ALL he remembers is his T-shirt and shorts getting caught in the propeller blade of a concrete mixer.
In that tragic instant, Bangladeshi Md Mosharof Sheikh Rowshan Ali's penis was almost severed.
He was rushed to National University Hospital (NUH) where surgeons succeeded in re-attaching the severed portion of his penis.
But life, for the 31-year-old, would never be the same. He sank into depression. He could no longer have an erection. And he felt he'd lost all hope of getting married.
Mr Md Mosharof could not remember much of the accident, which happened eight years ago.
He told The New Paper through a translator: 'I had been working the whole morning and was concentrating very hard. When it happened, I felt numb and then I became unconscious.'
Mr Md Mosharof said the doctor formed a tiny opening on the underside of his penis to enable him to urinate while his urethra healed.
'It is (still) very painful when I urinate, like a burning feeling. I hope I can go for more operations to treat my problem,' he said.
Mr Md Mosharof went back to Bangladesh in 2001 after the accident and was not heard from again until October this year when he returned to Singapore asking about compensation for the mishap.
BACK & FORTH: Mr Md Mosharof claimed he sent three letters to his lawyer asking for updates but didn't get any reply. His lawyer said several registered letters were sent to Mr Md Mosharof's address but he did not hear from his client.
Both his lawyer, Mr Mohamed Mohideen Shaik Noohu, and the Manpower Ministry (MOM) suspended his case a few years ago after he was uncontactable.
Mr Md Mosharof's background is complicated.
At the time of the accident, he was working illegally for a construction company which had been contracted to repair some drains at a factory in Tuas.
It wasn't his first brush with the law.
He had arrived in January 1996 after a Bangladeshi agent, whom he had paid about $4,000, promised him a proper job.
Mr Md Mosharof arrived on a social visit pass but worked for a construction company. He was given cleaning and carpentry work. Although he knew what he did was illegal, he claimed he had no choice.
'The agent took my passport and travellers cheques. I had no way to go back so I was forced to work illegally,' he added. This could not be verified.
Caught
He was caught by immigration officials during a raid in Little India in 1998 and sentenced to a month's jail and three strokes of the cane.
After completing his jail term, he was put on a special pass. But again Mr Md Mosharof worked illegally, this time for another construction company.
'I had no money, and I thought that with the job I could stay longer and earn some money.'
He claimed his employer gave him a photocopy of someone else's work permit to carry around. It is not clear if any action has been taken against his employer.
When the accident happened, 18 months into the job, he was found out. He spent 1 1/2 months at NUH and underwent four operations.
When he had recovered sufficiently, he was charged with overstaying and using a fake work permit. He was convicted and sent to prison and again given three strokes of the cane. This time, however, it 'was worse than the first caning'.
'I was very scared because my injury had not healed completely. I will never forget it,' he added.
He was in prison for eight months, after which he was sent back to Bangladesh, in August 2001.
By that time, he said, his whole village knew about his condition.
He claimed he sent three letters to his lawyer asking for updates but didn't get any reply.
But when contacted by The New Paper, his lawyer said several registered letters were sent to Mr Md Mosharof's address but he did not hear from his client.
Mr Md Mosharof had decided to go to Cyprus to study hotel management in 2003 and returned to his country only in April.
With his family's support, he was able to raise enough money to fly here to check on his case.
'I hope I can get some compensation because I need more treatment,' he said.
An NUH medical report in March 2001 stated that Mr Md Mosharof had near total amputation across the mid shaft of his penis.
His penis was reconstructed and his urethra (the tube that conveys urine from the bladder) reconnected.
It stated that he would require further surgery at a later date.
Surprised
Mr Md Mosharof said he regrets coming to Singapore to find work in the first place.
He said: 'My life has been destroyed. My village people all know about my condition, and I feel very ashamed. I won't be able to get married forever. Sometimes I feel it's better if I die.'
His lawyer said he was surprised when Mr Md Mosharof suddenly turned up at his office recently.
Mr Mohamed Mohideen added that even though his client was an illegal worker, he is entitled to compensation.
Section 3(4) of the Work Injury Compensation Act states that 'an accident happening to an employee shall be deemed to arise out of and in the course of his employment notwithstanding that he was at the time of the accident acting in contravention of any written law or other regulations applicable to his employment...'
Mr Mohamed Mohideen added: 'My role is to give him access to justice. When a worker is injured, he is entitled to medical expenses, medical leave wages and permanent incapacity compensation if it can be shown that the accident arose out of and in the course of employment.'
MOM was not able to reply by press time.
Illegal Bangladeshi worker seeks compensation after he loses manhood in workplace accident
By Tan May Ping
December 17, 2008
FURTHER SURGERY: An NUH medical report in 2001 stated that Mr Md Mosharof had near total amputation of his penis. It was reconstructed and his urethra was reconnected. It stated that he would require further surgery at a later date. TNP PICTURES: KELVIN CHNG
ALL he remembers is his T-shirt and shorts getting caught in the propeller blade of a concrete mixer.
In that tragic instant, Bangladeshi Md Mosharof Sheikh Rowshan Ali's penis was almost severed.
He was rushed to National University Hospital (NUH) where surgeons succeeded in re-attaching the severed portion of his penis.
But life, for the 31-year-old, would never be the same. He sank into depression. He could no longer have an erection. And he felt he'd lost all hope of getting married.
Mr Md Mosharof could not remember much of the accident, which happened eight years ago.
He told The New Paper through a translator: 'I had been working the whole morning and was concentrating very hard. When it happened, I felt numb and then I became unconscious.'
Mr Md Mosharof said the doctor formed a tiny opening on the underside of his penis to enable him to urinate while his urethra healed.
'It is (still) very painful when I urinate, like a burning feeling. I hope I can go for more operations to treat my problem,' he said.
Mr Md Mosharof went back to Bangladesh in 2001 after the accident and was not heard from again until October this year when he returned to Singapore asking about compensation for the mishap.
BACK & FORTH: Mr Md Mosharof claimed he sent three letters to his lawyer asking for updates but didn't get any reply. His lawyer said several registered letters were sent to Mr Md Mosharof's address but he did not hear from his client.
Both his lawyer, Mr Mohamed Mohideen Shaik Noohu, and the Manpower Ministry (MOM) suspended his case a few years ago after he was uncontactable.
Mr Md Mosharof's background is complicated.
At the time of the accident, he was working illegally for a construction company which had been contracted to repair some drains at a factory in Tuas.
It wasn't his first brush with the law.
He had arrived in January 1996 after a Bangladeshi agent, whom he had paid about $4,000, promised him a proper job.
Mr Md Mosharof arrived on a social visit pass but worked for a construction company. He was given cleaning and carpentry work. Although he knew what he did was illegal, he claimed he had no choice.
'The agent took my passport and travellers cheques. I had no way to go back so I was forced to work illegally,' he added. This could not be verified.
Caught
He was caught by immigration officials during a raid in Little India in 1998 and sentenced to a month's jail and three strokes of the cane.
After completing his jail term, he was put on a special pass. But again Mr Md Mosharof worked illegally, this time for another construction company.
'I had no money, and I thought that with the job I could stay longer and earn some money.'
He claimed his employer gave him a photocopy of someone else's work permit to carry around. It is not clear if any action has been taken against his employer.
When the accident happened, 18 months into the job, he was found out. He spent 1 1/2 months at NUH and underwent four operations.
When he had recovered sufficiently, he was charged with overstaying and using a fake work permit. He was convicted and sent to prison and again given three strokes of the cane. This time, however, it 'was worse than the first caning'.
'I was very scared because my injury had not healed completely. I will never forget it,' he added.
He was in prison for eight months, after which he was sent back to Bangladesh, in August 2001.
By that time, he said, his whole village knew about his condition.
He claimed he sent three letters to his lawyer asking for updates but didn't get any reply.
But when contacted by The New Paper, his lawyer said several registered letters were sent to Mr Md Mosharof's address but he did not hear from his client.
Mr Md Mosharof had decided to go to Cyprus to study hotel management in 2003 and returned to his country only in April.
With his family's support, he was able to raise enough money to fly here to check on his case.
'I hope I can get some compensation because I need more treatment,' he said.
An NUH medical report in March 2001 stated that Mr Md Mosharof had near total amputation across the mid shaft of his penis.
His penis was reconstructed and his urethra (the tube that conveys urine from the bladder) reconnected.
It stated that he would require further surgery at a later date.
Surprised
Mr Md Mosharof said he regrets coming to Singapore to find work in the first place.
He said: 'My life has been destroyed. My village people all know about my condition, and I feel very ashamed. I won't be able to get married forever. Sometimes I feel it's better if I die.'
His lawyer said he was surprised when Mr Md Mosharof suddenly turned up at his office recently.
Mr Mohamed Mohideen added that even though his client was an illegal worker, he is entitled to compensation.
Section 3(4) of the Work Injury Compensation Act states that 'an accident happening to an employee shall be deemed to arise out of and in the course of his employment notwithstanding that he was at the time of the accident acting in contravention of any written law or other regulations applicable to his employment...'
Mr Mohamed Mohideen added: 'My role is to give him access to justice. When a worker is injured, he is entitled to medical expenses, medical leave wages and permanent incapacity compensation if it can be shown that the accident arose out of and in the course of employment.'
MOM was not able to reply by press time.
