Diplomatic Correspondent :
A total of 176 Bangladeshi nationals have returned home from Libya after being rescued from the Tajoura Detention Center in Tripoli.
The return was made possible with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). They flew back on 17 September and arrived in Dhaka early Thursday morning on Burak Airlines flight UZ222.
Foreign Ministry said that this group was brought back under IOM’s voluntary humanitarian return programme, which has been regularly used to help distressed Bangladeshis leaving in Libya.
The returnees had been stranded for months in unsafe and uncertain conditions, with little access to basic rights or work opportunities.
This latest operation is part of a long and troubling pattern. Earlier this year, 158 Bangladeshis were flown back from Libya under similar arrangements.
In previous years, smaller groups have also been evacuated, including 46 migrants in 2017 who had been left stranded without proper documentation.
Even more tragic was the Mizdah massacre in 2020, when 30 migrants were killed by traffickers, 26 of them from Bangladesh. These repeated stories reveal the grave dangers faced by Bangladeshi migrants in the North African country.
The steady flow of returnees raises serious questions about Bangladesh’s global image. Each case draws attention to the vulnerability of its citizens abroad and highlights the weakness of safeguards in place before they migrate.
When images of detained or exploited Bangladeshi workers circulate internationally, they reflect poorly on the state’s ability to regulate recruitment, monitor contracts, and provide adequate support overseas. It also places pressure on Bangladesh to demonstrate stronger governance of labour migration.
The successful repatriations through IOM show that international cooperation remains active and humanitarian organizations still see Bangladesh as a partner in solving these crises.
However, the economic impact cannot be overlooked when the migrant workers return home. Bangladesh relies heavily on remittances, which reached more than $21 billion dollars in 2023.
When migrants are forced to return prematurely, the money they might have sent back to their families stops flowing. For households that depend entirely on this income, the effect is immediate and painful.
If dangerous migration routes such as Libya continue to dominate headlines, fewer people may risk traveling there.
That could mean a reduction in remittances from these corridors, even if other destinations eventually take their place.
Beyond the financial angle, there is also the question of trust. Families who see their relatives return empty-handed or in distress lose faith in migration as a path to prosperity, sources said.
The social and psychological costs of these repeated returns add another layer of difficulty for reintegration.
The return of 176 Bangladeshis on Thursday is therefore more than just a humanitarian act. It is a reminder of the urgency of fixing a broken system.
The Foreign Ministry said that Bangladesh is working on safe migration and urging people not to take risk that endanger lives and resources.
The ministry has urged returnees to share their sufferings sprung from irregular migration with all to make people aware of human traffickers.
