Center for Migration Studies (CMS) of the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG), North South University (NSU) organized a seminar titled “Caught Between War and Work: The Rights and Sufferings of Bangladeshi Migrant Workers in the Gulf amid the US–Israel–Iran Conflict” on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, at NSU’s Syndicate Hall, a press release said.
The seminar brought together policymakers, academics, development partners, and civil society leaders to examine how the ongoing regional conflict and insecurity in the Gulf are affecting the lives and rights of Bangladeshi migrant workers and to identify practical policy responses that can protect workers’ livelihoods during the crisis.
Discussants stressed that crisis conditions can disrupt mobility and employment continuity almost immediately. Since hostilities erupted on 28 February, flight cancellations and airspace closures have affected travel to and from multiple Middle East destinations. Participants also noted the human cost of the conflict: by late March, at least seven Bangladeshi nationals had been reported killed in the wider Middle East conflict. The discussion also referenced crisis-time coordination measures, including the March repatriation of 186 Bangladeshis from Iran, facilitated by the government with support from international partners.
Moderating the session, CMS Director Professor Sk. Tawfique M. Haque underscored that labour migration continues to underpin Bangladesh’s economy, but warned that persistent governance gaps leave workers exposed.
Dr. Selim Reza, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Sociology (PSS), NSU, and Coordinator, CMS, presented an overview of migration trends and vulnerabilities. He noted that most Bangladeshi migrants in the Gulf remain concentrated in low-skilled, contract-based jobs in sectors where labour oversight is weak, while high recruitment costs often force workers into debt. He also highlighted recurring patterns of exploitation in destination countries, including contract substitution, wage withholding, and restrictions that limit workers’ access to justice, which become harder to address during conflict-driven disruptions.
Shariful Islam Hasan, Head of BRAC Migration Programme, warned that escalating conflicts and instability are likely to increase irregular migration, particularly through dangerous routes such as the Mediterranean, where thousands risk their lives each year. He also noted that many Bangladeshi workers are facing cancelled migration plans, job losses, and financial distress, highlighting a growing disconnect between rising migration aspirations and declining economic returns for migrants.
Jasiya Khatoon, Director, WARBE Development Foundation, emphasized the gendered dimensions of the crisis, focusing on women migrant workers, many of whom are employed as domestic workers in the Middle East. She stressed that women who migrate through informal and unregulated channels face heightened risks of wage theft, movement restrictions, and physical or sexual abuse inside private households. She argued that fear of retaliation—including detention, deportation, or further abuse—often prevents survivors from seeking justice.
Dr. Mohammad Jalal Uddin Sikder, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Sociology (PSS), NSU, framed the issue through a geopolitical lens, arguing that crises expose power asymmetries in migration governance. He urged stronger migration diplomacy and crisis-time protection arrangements such as evacuation protocols, compensation mechanisms, and legal safeguards, alongside longer-term diversification of labour markets beyond the Gulf and a shift toward skills-based migration pathways.
From the government perspective, Muhammed Bashir, Director (West Asia Wing), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, emphasized the need for realism in migration policy discussions. He pointed to limited destination options and skills deficits as constraints on Bangladesh’s negotiating position, and stressed minimum eligibility standards, better pre-departure preparation, and stronger mechanisms to locate and monitor workers in destination countries.
Karina Levina, Technical Officer on Social Protection and Migration, ILO, emphasized that labour migration should not be treated as a luxury, but integrated into national labour and development policy. Highlighting future labour-market needs, she pointed to emerging opportunities in green jobs and the green energy sector as potential areas for skills development, including for women, and called for deeper regional cooperation through platforms such as the Abu Dhabi Dialogue to advance shared protection standards.
Giuseppe Loprete, Chief of Mission (a. i.) of the International Organization for Migration Bangladesh (IOM), urged that migrant workers remain at the centre of crisis response frameworks, noting that conventional migration policies often fail during conflict-driven disruptions. He emphasized the importance of crisis preparedness and coordinated action among states to ensure protection for both regular and irregular migrants.
Chief Guest Md. Nurul Haque, MP, Hon’ble State Minister, Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, highlighted structural challenges in Bangladesh’s labour migration system, including skills gaps, recruitment irregularities, and market concentration in traditional destinations. He reiterated the government’s focus on scaling up skills development through Technical Training Centres, strengthening destination-specific language and cultural orientation, especially for emerging markets such as Japan and Korea, improving regulation of recruitment agencies and training providers, strengthening legal assistance abroad, and ensuring that welfare and compensation schemes reach migrant workers through formal registration systems.
The session was chaired by Professor Nasar U. Ahmed, Pro-VC, NSU, who underscored the value of evidence-based policymaking and inter-ministerial coordination to address systemic gaps in migration governance. In closing remarks, Professor Dr. Md. Rizwanul Islam, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, NSU, noted that the crisis also underscores the need to prepare for future opportunities, including potential labour demand linked to post-conflict reconstruction, while strengthening Bangladesh’s image in global labour markets and investing in research to support evidence-based policy reform.
The seminar concluded with a call for a more rights-based and coordinated approach to labour migration governance, ensuring that the safety, welfare, and voices of Bangladeshi migrant workers remain central in national and international responses during times of geopolitical crisis.
