9,370 Bangladeshi expatriates detained in 26 countries: FM

There are 9,370 expatriate Bangladeshis working abroad, including those who have been imprisoned in 26 different countries, Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said in Parliament on Monday.

In response to a query from Independent Member of Parliament for Sylhet-5, Mohammad Huchamuddin Chowdhury, the Foreign Minister also said that around 5,746 Bangladeshis are detained in Saudi Arabia, with 508 Bangladeshis being held in Turkish prisons, which is the second-highest number.

The other 24 countries are: Portugal (1), Algeria (1), Japan (2), Sri Lanka (3), Thailand (4), Korea (6), Egypt (6), China (Kunming 7), Libia (9), Italy (81), South Africa (385), Qatar (415), Spain (19), Hong Kong (122), Singapore (66), Brunei (16), China (Beijing 184), Abu Dhabi (404), Indonesia (49), Malaysia (219), Lebanon (28), Greece (414), Iraq (217), Myanmar (358) and Jordan (100).

Mahmud said that 1,226 individuals were repatriated from Libya between July 2023 and February 2024, of whom 51 were from France and other European countries. 

Another 1,950 Bangladeshis have been brought back from different prisons in India, Myanmar and various countries in the Middle East.

The foreign minister said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare, Bangladesh embassies abroad and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) play an important role to free the expatriate Bangladeshis detained in jails or detention centres in various countries.

Besides, liaison has been established with concerned police stations and public prosecution offices for speedy and fair investigation of complaints against the migrant workers detained on charges of criminal offences in various countries.

The foreign minister also said that the government communicates with the highest level of the concerned countries for special and general amnesty for labourers or expatriate workers detained in prisons.

In response to a question of Awami League MP elected from Bhola-3 Nurunnabi Chowdhury, Mahmud said that through 81 embassies, Bangladesh government is maintaining diplomatic relations with other countries where the country does not have any embassy.

While replying to a query of AL MP M Abdul Latif from Chattogram-11, Mahmud said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is continuing its work to maintain international attention on the Rohingya issue.

“As a result of this, regular visits of high-level representatives of different countries to the Rohingya camps of Cox‍‍`s Bazar and Bhasan Char are playing an important role in the permanent solution of the Rohingya problem and in making effective international initiatives in the field of humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh,” the foreign minister said.

In response to another question of Latif, he said that more than 8 lakh British-Bangladeshis are living in the UK and making a significant contribution to the UK politics, economy and culture.

“In the context of the post-Brexit UK labour market, we believe that opportunities are remaining to send skilled workers from Bangladesh. But it must be done in a legal and orderly immigration process,” he said.

In response to a question of AL MP Anwar Hossain Khan, the foreign minister said that necessary measures have been taken in accordance with the existing laws of the concerned countries along with conventional diplomacy to bring back the fugitive murderers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

“It is not possible to provide detailed information in this regard as the process is still going on,” he added.