Bangladeshi Population In Bahrain: A Comprehensive Overview

The Bangladeshi diaspora refers to people of Bangladeshi birth, descent, or origin who live outside of Bangladesh. Bangladeshis in the Middle East form the largest part of the worldwide Bangladeshi diaspora. In 2017, there were about 180,000 Bangladeshis in Bahrain, making up about 10% of the island's population. The Bangladesh School Bahrain, established in 1995, provides education for the children of Bangladeshi parents in the country.

The number of Bangladeshis in Bahrain

As of 2023, Bahrain is home to approximately 150,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers, according to media reports and government statistics. This number represents a significant portion of the overall population of Bahrain, which relies heavily on foreign workers, particularly from South and Southeast Asian countries.

The presence of Bangladeshis in Bahrain is part of a broader trend of Bangladeshi migration to the Middle East. Bangladesh is one of the largest labour-supplying countries to the region, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf countries hosting a substantial number of Bangladeshi expatriates. The introduction of Islam in the Bengal region has fostered a connection to the Arabian Peninsula, as Muslims are required to perform the Hajj pilgrimage once in their lifetime.

In Bahrain, the Bangladeshi community has established institutions such as the Bangladesh School Bahrain, which was founded in 1995 to provide education following the Bangladeshi curriculum. However, Bangladeshi workers in Bahrain, as well as in other Gulf countries, have faced challenges related to human rights and labour rights violations, with reports of passport confiscation, restricted movement, unpaid wages, and harsh living and working conditions.

The relationship between Bahrain and Bangladesh is formalised through diplomatic ties, with both countries maintaining embassies in each other's capitals. Despite periodic tensions, such as the temporary suspension of visas for Bangladeshis in 2018, the two countries continue to maintain relations, and in 2022, Bahrain resumed the issuance of visas to Bangladeshi citizens.

Human rights and labour rights violations

Bangladeshis in the Middle East make up the largest part of the worldwide Bangladeshi diaspora. In 2017, there were about 180,000 Bangladeshis in Bahrain, constituting around 10 percent of the island's population. However, the Bangladeshi community in Bahrain has faced significant human rights and labour rights violations.

The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) estimates that around 70,000 migrant workers living in Bahrain are undocumented, with the majority of them being Bangladeshi. This lack of legal status makes them particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Foreign workers, especially those from Bangladesh, have faced discrimination in the workplace, with employers engaging in practices such as withholding passports, restricting movement, substituting contracts, and not paying wages. These issues are further exacerbated by the limited legal protection available to migrant workers in Bahrain.

Violent attacks against Bangladeshi migrant workers have also been documented by Human Rights Watch. During the anti-government protests in March 2011, several Bangladeshi workers reported being harassed and attacked by armed Arab men in their residences. In one incident, a Bangladeshi migrant worker named Shehbaz sought refuge at the Pakistan Club, recounting how he was chased and attacked by a group of around 30 Arab men. These attacks have caused injuries and even led to fatalities within the Bangladeshi community.

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) investigated human rights violations during the government crackdown on anti-government protests. The BICI report concluded that four migrant workers were killed, including two Bangladeshi nationals, with a further 88 expatriates injured, 18 of whom were Bangladeshi. The death of one Bangladeshi national, Abdul Malik, was attributed to civilians and categorised as an intentional killing. Another Bangladeshi national, Farid Maqbul, died from multiple trauma injuries to the head and face, with his killing also deemed intentional.

In addition to the physical dangers, Bangladeshi workers in Bahrain have also faced legal repercussions. In 2008, members of the Bahraini parliament called for the expulsion of all Bangladeshis after a Bangladeshi worker killed a Bahraini. The government responded by issuing a ban on all Bangladeshis and carrying out the execution of a Bangladeshi convicted of murder in 2006. These incidents highlight the tense relationship between the two countries and the vulnerability of Bangladeshi migrants in Bahrain.

The Bangladeshi School in Bahrain

The school offers both the National Curriculum of Bangladesh and the Cambridge International Curriculum. While the former is offered from Grade 1 to 12, the latter is offered as an option from Grade 6 to Grade 10. Students following the Bangladeshi curriculum sit for public examinations in Grades 5, 8, 10, and 12, conducted by the Dhaka Education Board. The school's kindergarten section admits four and five-year-olds and follows a self-made syllabus. Students up to the age of 18 can be admitted to the higher secondary classes.

The Bangladesh School in Bahrain has nearly 60 teachers and classroom assistants and facilities such as an IT lab, science lab, and library. The school day runs from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm and operates around 180 days a year. The fees for the British International Curriculum are among the lowest in the Kingdom, and the school has enrolled more than 1,000 students.

In October 2023, the foundation stone of a new building for the school, named the "Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Bangladesh School," was laid in Bahrain. The new building is funded by the Government of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh-Bahrain relations

Bahrain and Bangladesh established diplomatic relations in 1974, following Bahrain's recognition of Bangladesh. Bangladesh opened an embassy in Manama, Bahrain, in 1983, and the two countries have been members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. In 2022, the ambassador of Bangladesh to Bahrain, Md. Nazrul Islam, announced that Bahrain would resume issuing visas to Bangladeshi citizens after a four-year hiatus. This announcement came at a significant time, marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of many Bangladeshi migrant workers in Bahrain. Around 8,000 Bangladeshi workers lost their jobs during the pandemic, and 1,200 workers were stranded in Bangladesh due to the suspension of international flights. Despite these challenges, the Bahraini government took steps to regularise the status of over 40,000 undocumented Bangladeshi migrants in May 2020.

In conclusion, the relationship between Bangladesh and Bahrain has been marked by diplomatic exchanges, economic ties, and a significant Bangladeshi migrant population in Bahrain. Efforts have been made to strengthen bilateral relations and address challenges faced by migrant workers. The resumption of visa issuance by Bahrain in 2022 signals a positive development in the ongoing Bangladesh-Bahrain relations.

The number of Bangladeshis in other countries

The Bangladeshi diaspora refers to the almost 7.5 million people of Bangladeshi birth, descent, or origin who live outside of Bangladesh. The largest Bangladeshi diaspora population is in Saudi Arabia, with more than two million Bangladeshis living in the country. The United Arab Emirates is home to 706,000 Bangladeshis, while Oman has about 680,242 as of 2018. Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain also have significant populations, with about 400,000, 350,000, and 180,000 Bangladeshis, respectively. In 2017, Bahrain was home to about 180,000 Bangladeshis, constituting 10% of the island's population.

The Middle East is home to the largest part of the worldwide Bangladeshi diaspora, with between 2.3 million and 2.9 million Bangladeshis living in the region. Bangladeshis in these Gulf Cooperation Council states are primarily classified as foreign workers, and the diaspora here focuses on ensuring continuous labor migration flows and reducing labor-related abuses.

Outside of the Middle East, the United Kingdom is home to the largest Bangladeshi community in Europe, with British Bangladeshis mainly concentrated in London boroughs like Tower Hamlets and Newham. The migration to the UK is largely attributed to chain migration from the Sylhet Division. Bangladeshis have also migrated to other European countries like Italy, with a population of 150,692 as of 2022.

In the United States, there were 213,372 people of Bangladeshi origin living in the country as of the 2018 American Community Survey. New York City is home to two-thirds of the Bangladeshi-American population, with notable communities also present in Paterson, Atlantic City, and Monroe Township, New Jersey, among other cities.

In Canada, the main influx of Bangladeshi migration started in the early 1980s, and Toronto is now home to a sizeable Bangladeshi community of over 50,000 in the city proper and over 65,000 in the Greater Toronto Area.

Bangladeshis have also migrated to other countries in Asia, including Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Australia. There are significant Bangladeshi communities in Malaysia, with a population of 400,000 as of 2023, and South Korea, with over 12,678 Bangladeshi foreign workers as of 2013. In contrast, Bangladeshis in Japan form one of the smaller populations of foreigners, with 10,175 Bangladeshi nationals recorded as of 2010. Australia is home to one of the smallest immigrant communities from Bangladesh, with around 41,000 Bangladeshis in the country, mainly concentrated in the states of New South Wales and Victoria.

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