Bangladeshis in the Middle East

Bangladeshis in the Middle East (; ), form the largest part of the worldwide Bangladeshi diaspora. Although Bangladesh only came into existence in 1971, the land which is today Bangladesh has strong ties to the Middle East. Out of the 13 Million Bangladeshis abroad approximately 8 million live within the Middle East, with 2.5 million in Saudi Arabia and a 1 million of them in the United Arab Emirates. Bangladeshis who come to the Middle East are primarily guest workers or day labourers. Bangladesh is one of the largest labour suppliers to Saudi Arabia. In 2007, Bangladeshi workers obtained the biggest share, with 23.50 per cent of the 1.5 million Saudi Arabia visas issued.

History

The introduction of Islam to the Bengali people has generated a connection to the Arabian Peninsula, as Muslims are required to visit the land once in their lifetime to complete the Hajj pilgrimage. Several Bengali sultans funded Islamic institutions in the Hejaz, which popularly became known by the Arabs as Bangali Madaris. It is unknown when Bengalis began settling in Arab lands though an early example is that of Haji Shariatullah's teacher ''Mawlana Murad'', who was permanently residing in the city of Mecca in the early 1800s.

Living conditions

Migrant labour in the region, from which Bangladeshi citizens form a sizable minority, are brought in through the kafala system, which provides employment-based visas and bars workers from attaining longer-term residency. Like other Asian expatriates, Bangladeshi citizens have sought work in the region primarily to send remittances back to their families and share little in common culturally with their host societies. Many have additionally been motivated by the proximity to Mecca in hopes of performing the rites of the Hajj.

Human rights organizations continue to report on widespread violations of labour and human rights of migrant workers in the Gulf region. Reported abuses include the confiscation of passports, mobility restrictions, excessive working hours, delayed or absent salary payments, sub-par working and living conditions, as well as sexual, physical and psychological abuse of workers by their employers.Kakande, Y., "Where Are Our Passports?", ''Migrant-Rights.Org'', 5 January 2016, availabl
here
Migrant-Rights.Org, "Making Visible the Experiences of Migrant Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia", 3 October 2014, availabl
here
; Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain, "Slaving Away: Migrant Labor Exploitation and Human Trafficking in the Gulf", April 2014, availabl
here
Human Rights Watch, "For a Better Life: Migrant Worker Abuse in Bahrain and the Government Reform Agenda", 30 September 2012, availabl
here
Human Rights Watch, "Kuwait: Events of 2015", 27 January 2016, availabl
here
Human Rights Watch, "United Arab Emirates: Trapped, Exploited, Abused", 22 October 2014, availabl
here

Notable people

* Syed Neaz Ahmad, academic, writer, journalist, and critic
*Rabiul Hoque, cricket umpire
*Aamer Rahman, stand-up comedian
*Elita Karim, singer, journalist, performer, anchor and voice artist.

See also

*Bangladeshis in the United Arab Emirates
*Demographics of Saudi Arabia
*Demographics of United Arab Emirates
*Demographics of Kuwait
*Demographics of Oman
*Demographics of Qatar
*Demographics of Bahrain
*Demographics of Jordan
*Demographics of Egypt

References

{{Bangladeshi diaspora

Bangladeshi diaspora