Kawser Ahmed was close to repaying the loan he had taken in 2021 to migrate to Iran for work. But the war shattered that dream and left his family in uncertainty.
“Everything was going well. I worked at a car factory in Tehran and had almost repaid the Tk 5 lakh loan. I was even planning to start saving for the future. Then the war came, and I had to return home,” he said.
“I don’t have a job now. I have no idea what to do next,” he said at a press conference organised by the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) of Dhaka University at the National Press Club in the capital yesterday.
Kawser, who was evacuated from Iran on April 14 after the US-Israel war on Iran began on February 28, shared the story of trauma and vulnerability that reflects the realities of many Bangladeshi migrant workers in Iran and the Gulf countries.
Bangladesh evacuated 200 migrants from Iran between March 19 and April 18. Around 2,000 Bangladeshis are estimated to work there. Although a ceasefire between the US and Iran is now in place, uncertainty remains, while Israel’s attacks on Lebanon continue.
At the same time, Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Gulf countries -- including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait -- have severely affected migrant communities.
At least 11 Bangladeshis were killed and several others were injured during the conflict in the Middle East, where around 70 lakh Bangladeshis work.
In 2025, migrants from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries sent home $15.07 billion out of Bangladesh’s total remittance inflow of $32 billion.
According to RMMRU, a large number of Bangladeshi migrants in the Middle East have become jobless or underemployed as businesses slowed due to the war.
“Our online company had 400 workers before, but now only 65 remain. The employer dismissed workers because sales dropped drastically,” Rashed Khan told RMMRU from Saudi Arabia in April.
RMMRU Senior Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Rashed Alam Bhuiyan said people in the Middle East have started cutting spending and prioritising savings, affecting sectors such as logistics and services where many migrants work.
“Employers are also cutting salaries and delaying payments,” he said, adding that migrants who depend on daily work are finding fewer opportunities while living costs continue to rise.
“Before the war, 450 dirhams was enough for my monthly expenses, but now it has risen to 600 dirhams,” a Bangladeshi migrant in Dubai told RMMRU in April.
RMMRU Chair Dr Tasneem Siddiqui said the war has created serious concerns for Bangladesh’s labour migration sector.
“The war has become traumatic for many migrants,” she said.
She warned that irregular migration could increase if the conflict continues, especially as the sector is already struggling with high recruitment costs, fraud and unsafe migration practices.
“If the government fails to manage the crisis, it will have serious impacts on migrants, their families and the economy,” she said.
Dr Siddiqui suggested a comprehensive reintegration plan for migrants returning home after losing jobs, along with emergency support for those still in destination countries.
She also stressed the need for reforms in education and skills development to help create alternative job markets for migrant workers.
Jalal Uddin Sikder, associate professor of political science and sociology at North South University, said Bangladesh should take diplomatic measures to ensure migrants who lose jobs or cannot renew work permits because of the war are not punished.
“It is important to introduce insurance provisions for migrants in cases where employers go bankrupt due to the war,” he said.
