Workers seen at a construction site in Doha, in this file photo. There has also been surge in the number of Bangladeshi workers employed in Qatar, ahead of the 2022 World Cup football. (Photo by AFP)
Activists in Bangladesh are lobbying the government to remain neutral in the row between Qatar and its neighbors to safeguard the thousands of Bangladeshi workers in the Arab country.
Six countries led by Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with tiny gas-rich Qatar June 5, accusing that country of supporting terrorism and militant groups, an accusation Qatar denies.
Currently, Saudi Arabia has 2 million Bangladeshi workers, while Qatar employs 380,000 workers, according to Bangladesh Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment ministry.
Bangladesh has about 10 million overseas migrant workers, mostly employed in the Middle East, and who make a vital contribution to the Bangladeshi economy by sending home billions of dollars in remittances every year.
Bangladesh maintains a non-aligned foreign policy but has recently joined a Saudi-led anti-terrorism military alliance.
Shymol Chandra Majumder, manager of the Safe Migration project at Caritas Chittagong regional office, said it would be wise for Bangladesh to take the "middle ground."
"There might be some pressure to take sides, but Bangladesh needs to maintain a neutral position. The Arab tension might end anytime, but if Bangladesh takes a side it would be disastrous in the long run," he said.
Although Saudi Arabia is Bangladesh's largest labor market, workers in Qatar are relatively better paid, Majumder said. There has also been surge in the number of Bangladeshi workers employed in Qatar, ahead of the 2022 World Cup football that Qatar is scheduled to host.
"In recent times, Bangladesh has been sending 10,000-12,000 workers to Qatar per month as the World Cup has created lots of job opportunities. So, Bangladesh needs to monitor the situation seriously and take a wise decision and not lose anything," Majumder said.
Imtiaz Ahmed, professor of International Relations at Dhaka University, said Bangladesh should maintain a non-committal stance with regards the row in the Middle East.
Some Muslim countries have joined Saudi Arabia in cutting off ties with Qatar out of pressure. This might be advantageous to countries in the Middle East for regional interest purposes but Bangladesh, far away in South Asia, need not be caught up in this, he said. "Bangladesh should keep monitoring the situation and take a neutral position until the row is over," Ahmed said.
The Bangladesh embassy in Doha has called on migrant workers in Qatar not to panic and remain calm.
"We are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with the Qatari authorities. We ask all Bangladeshi nationals not to panic and not take decisions on their own. We need you to consult with the embassy in any situation," the embassy said in a notice on June 6.
Bangladesh's Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment minister Nurul Islam said the row in the Middle East wouldn't affect migrant workers.
"Our foreign policy is based on friendship with all, malice to none. We are not in any alliance to condemn and confront any nation. So, the problem in the Persian Gulf won't affect our workers," Islam told reporters in Dhaka June 7.