The war in the Gulf region has put Bangladeshi migrant workers in their host countries in great jeopardy. It is not just about their safety and security due to the war raging through the region. Iranian drone and missile attacks on the US military installations including air and seaports, oil installations and commercial facilities in the UAE were hit. Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have also been affected causing huge infrastructural damage in those countries.
That is reason for concern. There is also serious concern about the fate of the Bangladesh-origin migrant workers employed in those facilities. Notably, between 2.5 to 3 million Bangladeshi workers are employed there. And the remittance money from those expatriate workers constitute a major source of the hard currency earned by the country. So, the first priority at the moment is to ensure physical safety of the migrant workers staying in the Gulf countries. Bangladesh's diplomatic missions in those countries will have to keep close contact with those workers and remain updated about their present conditions and try to coordinate with the host governments and provide as much assurance and help as possible to those affected by the war. The government at home needs also to be kept constantly informed of their (the workers') situation. It is reassuring to learn at this point that prime minister Tarique Rahman expressed concern about the well-being of the expatriate workers in the Middle East and has given necessary instructions to the ministries concerned in this regard.
Considering the importance of the Gulf nations in our national economy, the policies of the government need to be carefully calibrated in response to the situation evolving there following February 28's US-Israeli joint attack on Iran, a major Gulf nation. No doubt, Bangladesh has a huge stake in seeing that the ongoing war in the Middle East comes to an end as soon as possible and the issues between Iran and the US are settled diplomatically through dialogues. In this connection, Bangladesh government needs to demonstrate necessary diplomatic acumen in dealing with the evolving situation in the region, especially when it comes to taking sides in the war. There is no question that the government's first priority should be protecting the country's interests, which include ensuring overall safety and job security of the Bangladeshi migrant workers staying there. And one cannot also overemphasize the need to ensure continued supply of energy from the Gulf countries. In that case, country's economic interests should take precedence over everything else.
But at the same time, the government has to maintain a principled stand in relation to the emerging crisis in the Middle East, the Gulf region to be specific. That is crucial both for the country's economic interest and its image before the rest of the world. So, our diplomatic stance in response to the fast changing political dynamics of the Gulf region amidst the ongoing war should maintain strategic ambiguity. The issue of who is violating whose sovereignty is a very sensitive one and our diplomats would be well-advised to avoid committing in favour of or against any side in the war in their haste. It is believed, the government, particularly its foreign minister, given his long experience in serving at the UN, is up to the task and can navigate through the diplomatic sensitivities of the situation and craft Bangladesh's policy
accordingly.
Notably, Persian Gulf's place in the global energy landscape is immense as about half of the world's proven crude oil reserves lie in the region. Most importantly, the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf between Iran and Oman is is a vital choke point to the global oil route as it carries about one-fifth of global oil supply. Small wonder that it is a hotspot of world power rivalry. So, Bangla can ill afford to get sucked into the big power rivalry in the region.
