Bangladeshi expats in the UAE are growing increasingly anxious as violent clashes between protesters and police continue to escalate back home. The situation is worsened by widespread communication disruptions and an Internet shutdown across Bangladesh.
Expats shared their concerns with Khaleej Times, expressing their distress over being unable to contact their families. “There is no way we can reach out to our families,” many worried expats said.
Unofficial reports indicate that the death toll from the ongoing student protests reached 50 on Friday afternoon, based on figures from hospitals around the country. Telecoms links have been widely disrupted, with television news channels going off the air and overseas telephone calls severely impacted. Many Bangladeshi newspapers’ websites were inactive and not updated.
Akram Hassan, a 28-year-old watchman in Sharjah, has been frantically trying to reach his family in Bangladesh. “The internet was very slow over the last four days and I could barely get in touch. However, from yesterday morning it was completely shut down and I don’t know what condition my family is in,” said Hassan, who is from Feni town. “The situation is very bad in our country — and the sad part is I cannot even call my family directly on the phone as the connectivity has been disrupted,” he added.
The Bangladeshi government has yet to comment on Friday’s communication blackout but has announced that police in Dhaka, the capital, have indefinitely banned all public meetings and processions.
The unrest, considered the worst in Bangladesh in years, sees students demanding the government scrap its preferential hiring rules for civil service jobs. Analysts suggest economic difficulties are also fueling the anger.
Altaf Hussain, an expat living in Dubai, shared his worries about the situation. “My family did not have enough food supplies back home, and I have no idea how they are managing without food,” said Hussain, a printing and advertising executive in Deira. He had not been able to contact his wife for nearly five days until he finally reached her on Thursday morning. “She was explaining the situation in Dhaka. I have told her to get essentials from one of our relatives’ stores close to our home. The Internet line got cut at the same time and since then, I am really worried about my kids and family. I don’t even know the amount of essentials they have in stock at home,” said Hussain.
Ashraful Islam, a cleaner in Jebel Ali, has also been unable to speak to his family for days. “The last I heard from them was about an intensifying clash that resulted in the death of two in our city. I am really scared for my family’s safety and well-being,” said Islam, a 25-year-old expat from Chittagong. “We are in a dire situation, and this silence and not being able to talk to my loved ones is terrifying.”
Expats in the UAE continue to grapple with fear and uncertainty as they await news from their loved ones amid the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh.