Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid :
Being exhausted, penniless, and broken, many Bangladeshis who dream to reach Europe to change their destiny are returning home from Libya after being trapped in a nightmare of exploitation and imprisonment.
Their dreams of Europe are vanishing in the sands of Libya as these people are being victims of human trafficking and returning home from detention centres across Tripoli and Benghazi.
In October alone, 928 migrants were flown back to Dhaka in three batches – 309 on October 9, another 309 on October 23, and 310 on October 30.
Even in November, 310 Bangladeshis return home, 176 returned in September 18, 161 returned in March 20 and 145 returned in February 13 this year from Libya.
These people were returned by the Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and Libyan authorities.
Since mid-2023, over 7,100 Bangladeshis have been brought back
from Libya. Yet the flow continues, showing how deep the problem runs.
Between June 2023 and August 2025, around 6,000 returns were organised with IOM’s help. Since 2017, the total exceeds 10,000, according to different sources.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that nearly 9,735 Bangladeshis attempted to reach Italy via the Mediterranean in the first half of this year alone.
At least 718 migrants have gone missing or died on the Central Mediterranean route – 701 of them drowned. Many were Bangladeshi men in their 20s and 30s, lured by traffickers who promised a quick passage to Europe.
Most of the migrants had entered Libya through illegal channels, convinced by brokers who sold dreams of Europe-bound jobs. Instead, they found kidnappings, unpaid labour, and abuse.
For a country that depends on remittances and prides itself on its disciplined migrant workforce, the mass returns have become a diplomatic and moral embarrassment.
Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Libya, Major General Abul Hasnat Muhammad Khairul Bashar, says the embassy is doing everything possible to ensure “safe and dignified” returns.
He noted that many detainees were freed after the embassy negotiated waivers of fines and jail terms. Still, he warned that irregular migration “puts lives, families, and the country’s reputation at risk.”
Migration experts say the problem runs deeper than individual choices as it reflects systemic failures.
“High migration costs, few legal pathways, and unemployment drive people to risk everything,” Tasneem Siddiqui, Professor of Political Science at the University of Dhaka and the founding Executive Director of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) told the New Nation on Saturday.
“Until migration becomes regular and transparent, tragedies like this will continue,” she added.
“Going to Europe is like an addiction for many for better lives. People want to go to Europe, but Europe does not have policy for formal employment. As Europe needs many people in informal sectors, these people -semi or unskilled – try to reach Europe at cost,” she said.
“But the such perilous journey is not auspicious for many people as many of them die in this trip or others return home empty handed after being exploited in human trafficking,” she stressed.
Shariful Hasan, associate director of Brac’s Migration and Youth Platform, recently told the media that the problem is regionally concentrated.
“Districts like Shariatpur, Madaripur, Faridpur, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Noakhali, and Comilla are hotspots,” he said. “Brokers prey on poor families with false promises of Europe. During their journey they become the victims of trafficking,” he added.
A recent Libyan government operation dismantled a trafficking ring involving Bangladeshi agents and local smugglers who moved hundreds through Niger and Sudan. But rights groups say that without firm crackdowns at home, Bangladesh will remain vulnerable.
Officials in Dhaka admit the challenge. “We’re warning people not to risk their lives for false promises.”
About the way out of situation, Tasneem Siddiqui, “We need community-level awareness and coordinated law enforcement against these traffickers. We would urge the government to take initiatives to train unskilled people as well as equip the vocational institutions.”
The IOM continues to support voluntary repatriations with travel allowances, food, medical aid, and short-term shelter. Yet, behind each return flight is a shattered family and a fading hope.
Despite a formal ban on travel to Libya for work, illegal migration routes remain active, exposing the gap between policy and enforcement, the experts said.
They said that until the promise of safe and legal migration becomes real, young Bangladeshis will keep chasing a mirage across deserts and seas – only to return home with their dreams drowned and their futures uncertain.
