Bangladeshis worried as ME conflict affects jobs
At least 5,000 Bangladeshis have lost their jobs in Lebanon, several companies in Saudi Arabia have reduced their workforce and workers are facing not only wage cuts and wage theft, but also rising inflation across Gulf countries
ATT Desk Report
Bangladeshi migrant workers in the Gulf are facing growing uncertainty over employment, wages and safety as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt regional economies and labour markets.
Researchers and migration experts came up with the warning at a press conference organised by the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) at the National Press Club on May 13, says a press release.
Speakers at event said the conflict has already begun affecting overseas recruitment from Bangladesh. Citing data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), they said outgoing migration fell by nearly 50 percent in March compared to the corresponding period of the last year.
At the press conference, Mohammad Rashed Alam Bhuiyan, associate professor of political science at Dhaka University, said, "At least 5,000 Bangladeshis have lost their jobs in Lebanon, while several companies in Saudi Arabia have reduced their workforce.”
“Workers are facing not only wage cuts and wage theft, but also rising inflation across Gulf countries since the conflict began,” he said, adding at least 11 Bangladeshis had been killed in Gulf countries during the conflict.
According to RMMRU, around 200 Bangladeshis have returned from Iran since the outbreak of the war.
“However, we still do not have complete data from the government regarding returnees, which is crucial for their reintegration,” said Tasneem Siddiqui, founding chair of RMMRU.
She urged the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment to allocate funds from the national budget for war-affected migrants instead of depending on the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board fund, which is financed through migrant workers’ contributions.
RMMRU warned that prolonged instability could also threaten Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 mega projects, including NEOM, the Red Sea tourism development project and Qiddiya entertainment city, potentially reducing future employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers in the construction and service sectors.
The organisation also expressed concern over the possible expansion of the conflict to the UAE, where nearly two million Bangladeshis are currently living and working.
Migration expert Mohammad Jalal Uddin Shikder criticised the lack of a coordinated government response, saying there is no real-time monitoring system for stranded migrants, cancelled flights or returnee flows.
RMMRU recommended establishing special migrant crisis response cells at Bangladeshi missions in GCC countries, launching 24-hour Bangla hotlines and creating emergency support systems for stranded and returning workers.
