Risky routes, shattered dreams: NSU national seminar exposes plight of Bangladeshi migrants to Europe

On December 17, a national seminar on 'Dreams across the Sea: Unpacking the Realities of Irregular Bangladeshi Migration to Europe' brought to light the dire circumstances facing Bangladeshi migrants en route to Europe. The seminar was organised on International Migration Day and held at North South University (NSU).

Organised by the Center for Migration Studies (CMS) of the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG), NSU, Dr Selim Reza, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Sociology, NSU, delivered the keynote. The seminar painted a poignant picture of the factors pushing many young Bangladeshis towards irregular migration.

During the seminar, a book titled The Displaced Rohingyas: A Tale of a Vulnerable Community, edited by Dr Sk Tawfique M Haque, Dr Bulbul Siddiqi, and Dr Mahmudur Rahman Bhuiyan was also unveiled. The book delves into the socio-cultural and humanitarian challenges faced by the Rohingya community, highlights the social insecurity among Rohingya adolescent girls, gender-based violence in the refugee camps, and the varying representations of the crisis in Chinese and Indian newspapers. It also examines Bangladesh's policy towards the Rohingya crisis.

Dr Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, was the Chief Guest. Dr Bernd Spanier, Deputy Head of Mission, Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, spoke as Guest of Honour. The seminar was chaired by NSU VC Prof. Atiqul Islam.