Bangladesh

Rural to urban movement
With a population of over 127.5 million Bangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated countries. As in any other country, there is a move towards the urban areas, particularly Dhaka. Every year about 5% of the rural population leave the countryside, in the hope of finding homes and jobs in the cities. However, these are already in short supply, so many end up living in the surrounding shantytowns. Furthermore, many people leave Bangladesh altogether, to study, work or join family members. Yet Bangladesh remains a rural nation with 85% of the population living in its 70,000 villages.

Working abroad
An estimated quarter of a million people go abroad to work each year, and the income they send back to their families is vital for the economy of the country. Many migrants pay recruiting agencies to arrange jobs and visas for them, often selling family land to raise the money needed. Unfortunately, not all agencies are honest, and some workers have found that there is no job waiting for them. Even when there are jobs, sometimes the wages are so low that it is almost impossible to send money home, so both the workers and their families suffer.

Returning home
Many other migrants join family members who have already emigrated. One reason may be to study abroad or perhaps because of marriage. Yet this, too, is not without its potential problems. People find that their skills and qualifications are not always appropriate to their new country, so find it difficult to get work, or they find it hard to adapt to the different cultural practices. Language problems can also lead to feelings of isolation and homesickness. Many ‘first generation’ migrants long to retire ‘home’ to Bangladesh once their children have grown up and married – a reverse migration.

Immigrants in Bangladesh
In 1991 and 1992, two waves of over 250,000 ethnic minority Rohingya people fled to Bangladesh to escape persecution in their own country, Myanmar. Despite the repatriation of many, it is estimated that over 21,000 refugees remain in two camps south of Cox's Bazar. Their living conditions are very difficult, with food and water always in short supply. The government does not support local integration of the remaining refugees, feeling that this will make them less willing to leave. However, it continues to work with the UNHCR and other agencies to find a lasting solution to this situation.