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The ongoing conflict in Lebanon has dealt a devastating blow to the migrant workforce, with approximately 5,000 Bangladeshi labourers losing their livelihoods following recent Israeli attacks. A rights group revealed on Wednesday that these workers have been plunged into a "severe crisis."
"In Lebanon, due to the Israeli attack, about 5,000 Bangladeshi workers have lost their jobs and are actually in a dangerous situation. They are now homeless. Therefore, they urgently need to be relocated from there, or taken care of in some way, or brought back to Bangladesh, or have other employment arrangements made for them," Tasneem Siddiqui, Executive Director of Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), told ANI. Bangladesh condemns in the strongest possible terms the heinous attack by Israeli forces in Southern Lebanon, which resulted in the tragic killing of two Bangladeshi nationals, namely late Shafiqul Islam of Satkhira Sadar, Satkhira, and late Md Nahidul Islam Nahid of Ashashuni, Satkhira, Bangladesh. "The Government of Bangladesh expresses its profound grief and deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the victims. The Bangladesh Embassy in Lebanon is working with the relevant local authorities to complete the necessary formalities for the repatriation of their mortal remains. It is also in touch with the family members of the deceased persons," the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Once again, Bangladesh reiterates its deep concern over the continuing violence and loss of civilian lives in the region and calls for maximum restraint and adherence to international humanitarian law," it added. On February 28, Israeli and US attacks on Iran created an immediate crisis in West Asia, particularly for Bangladeshis. So far, 11 Bangladeshis have died in the area. The number of Bangladeshi workers in West Asia is 5 million. In 2025, USD 15.07 billion in remittances came to Bangladesh from there. "Due to this, the situation of Bangladeshi female domestic workers in Lebanon is very dire, as they are not allowed to leave the house. So far, a woman named Dipali, aged 34, has been killed, and she had recently come to Bangladesh. However, the situation of others is not yet known," Siddiqui said. Due to the war, Bangladesh has started evacuating its citizens from Iran. So far, Bangladeshis have been brought back in two phases. In the first phase, from March 19 to 20, with the help of IOM, a charter flight via Azerbaijan brought 186 Bangladeshi citizens back to the country. In the second phase, on April 11, the Bangladesh Embassy arranged for 14 more citizens to be brought back from Iran. "Due to the crisis, the flow of workers from Bangladesh to the Arab countries has halved compared to last year. And in all the areas where factories have been affected by the attacks, US military bases could not provide security. Those factories are now urgently relocating their operations to Turkey. As a result, a new labour market needs to be sought for these Bangladeshi workers," she said. (ANI)
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