Infections among Bangladeshi migrants on the rise

Edris Riad of Feni has been living in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), since February 2019. He works in the accounting section of an air conditioner shop.

He lives in a room he shares with five other Bangladeshis. One of his roommates tested positive for coronavirus on April 23. Edris submitted his samples for testing a day later, and the result came back positive last Monday.

He told The Business Standard over phone, "We are six people in a room which is comfortable for four. When one of my roommates tested positive, we were asked to maintain quarantine."

"The rent of our room is 3,900 dirhams, which is around Tk90,000. Due to high rents, migrant Bangladeshis share accommodations here. In many cases, more than 15 people are living in a room like the one where I live," he added.

Like Edris, many Bangladeshi migrants have been infected with coronavirus in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, the Maldives, the US, the UK and Italy. Congested shared accommodation is one of the main reasons for the high infection rate among migrant workers in these countries. Migrants have said that maintaining physical distance is not possible in such living conditions.

Although there are no specific figures for Bangladeshi migrants infected with coronavirus, the death toll had already reached 458 in 19 countries till Monday, according to the Brac Migration Programme.

Shariful Hasan, head of the programme, said, "Our estimates on the number of deceased Bangladeshi migrants were made on the basis of media reports and foreign ministry sources."

Singapore, where around 1.5 lakh Bangladeshis are working, has become a hub of migrant workers' infection, according to an unofficial estimate. Among them, the number of infected Bangladeshis crossed 8,000 till April 1 while the total number of infections was 18,778 till Monday, according to the country's health ministry.

One Bangladeshi has died in Singapore while the number of total deaths is 18 in the country. Tahidul Islam Rihan, who lives in Woodlands area, said, "We are 18 people living in a line of bunk beds in the room. We sleep just a metre apart from each other. There are four rooms on our floor where we share the same toilet and shower."

"Five were infected with the virus in the room adjacent to ours. There is no way to self-isolate or avoid close contact. However, the country has developed a healthcare system to respond to coronavirus and we are getting good treatment here. That may be the reason behind the low number of deaths," he added.

The highest number of Bangladeshi migrants' death, 233, has been recorded in the US. Noman Taher, who works for a multinational company in South Carolina, said, "Accommodations of Bangladeshi migrants in the US are not as congested as in Singapore or other Middle Eastern countries."

Imran Ansary, who works at a non-governmental organization, wrote on Facebook, "The morning in New York starts with news of deaths nowadays. I live in Jamaica. Around four lakh people live here but the healthcare facilities are not sufficient for them,"

Most of the infected people in Saudi Arabia are also migrants where the death rate of Bangladeshis is around 29 percent. Around 3,000 Bangladeshis have been infected there, including a diplomat of the Bangladesh embassy. The death toll was 191 till April 4, including 55 Bangladeshis.

Mizanur Rahman, a Bangladeshi worker in Riyadh, said, "Most of the Bangladeshis are living in shared accommodations here. Besides, we do not maintain hygiene properly."

Migrant workers' infections are also increasing in Qatar, where more than four lakh Bangladeshis are living. Four Bangladeshis have so far died, with the number of infections crossing 3,000 in the country.

According to a report of the Qatar health authorities on April 28, around 94 percent of the infected are migrant workers. Bangladesh is in third position in terms of infections after India and Nepal.

The Qatari authorities have issued a directive, saying not more than three to four people should share a room, according to media reports.

Source:Brac Migration Programme