Bangladeshi diaspora

TheBangladeshi diaspora(Bengali:প্রবাসী বাংলাদেশী) are people of Bangladeshi birth, descent or origin who live outside ofBangladesh. First-generation migrants may have moved abroad fromBangladeshfor various reasons including better living conditions, to escape poverty, to support their financial condition, or to send money back to families there. TheMinistry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employmentestimates there are almost 7.5 million Bangladeshis living abroad, the fourth highest among the top 176 countries of origin for international migrants.Annualremittancestransferred to Bangladesh were almost $23 billion in 2023, the seventh highest in the worldand the third highest inSouth Asia.
The largest Bangladeshi diaspora population is inSaudi Arabia. There are also significant migrant communities in variousArab states of the Persian Gulf, particularly theUnited Arab EmiratesandOman, where Bangladeshis are mainly classified asforeign workers. TheUnited Kingdomis home to the largest Bangladeshi community inEurope.British Bangladeshisare mainly concentrated in London boroughs such as (Tower HamletsandNewham); the migration to Britain is mainly attributed withchain migrationfrom theSylhet Division. In addition to the UK and the Middle East, Bangladeshis also have a significant presence in theUnited States.Other countries where there are significant Bangladeshi communities includeMalaysia,South Africa,Singapore,Italy,Canada, andAustralia. The majority of the Bangladeshi diaspora areMuslim, with a significantHinduminority.
Bangladeshi diaspora movements and settlements abroad have divergent histories and challenges, with the diaspora in theGulf Cooperation Councilstates focused on ensuring continuous labor migration flows and reducing labor-related abuses, while in the US and UK, a major challenge is the growing intergenerational divides.
According to the Maldivian foreign ministry; some 50,000 Bangladeshi were working in there in 2011, a nation of only around 400,000 people, with a third having no valid documents or registration.
Bangladeshis in the Middle East form the largest part of the worldwide Bangladeshi diaspora. Between 2.3 million and 2.9 million live within the Middle East.
More than two million are inSaudi Arabia.TheUnited Arab Emiratesis home to 706,000.Omanhas about 680,242 Bangladeshis as of 2018.There is a Bangladeshi school in the city of Muscat, in Oman, calledBangladesh School Muscat.Qatarhas about 400,000 Bangladeshis as of 2019.There is aBangladeshischool inDohacalledBangladesh MHM School & College. Bangladeshis in Qatar make more than 14% of the Qatar population.Kuwaithas about 350,000 Bangladeshis as of 2020.Bahrainhas about 180,000 Bangladeshis as of 2017.
The introduction ofIslamto the Bengali people has generated a connection to theArabian Peninsula, as Muslims are required to visit the land once in their lifetime to complete theHajjpilgrimage. Several Bengali sultans funded Islamic institutions in theHejaz, which popularly became known by theArabsasBangali Madaris. It is unknown when Bengalis began settling in Arab lands though an early example is that ofHaji Shariatullah's teacherMawlana Murad, who was permanently residing in the city ofMeccain the early 1800s.There are about three major Bangladeshi schools in Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.
There are 706,000 Bangladeshis residing in the United Arab Emirates as of 2020.There is one Bangladeshi school in UAE calledShaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Bangladesh Islamia Schoolin Abu Dhabi. Bangladeshis make up around 7% of the UAE population and are 4th largest community in the UAE.
The Bangladeshi population in Malaysia is 400,000 as of 2023.
InSouth Korea, there are more than 12,678 Bangladeshi foreign workers in the country as of 2013.A few of them include illegal immigrants. The 2009Korean filmBandhobi, directed by Sin Dong-il, depicts a Bangladeshi migrant in South Korea.
Bangladeshis in Japan(在日バングラデシュ人,Zainichi Banguradeshujin)form one of the smaller populations of foreigners in Japan. As of 2010, Japan'sMinistry of Justicerecorded 10,175 Bangladeshi nationals among the total population of registered foreigners in Japan.
The census in 2000 found up to 95,300 were born in Bangladesh. It was until the 1990s when Bangladeshis, many from Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet, started to move to the United States, and settled in urban areas such asNew York,PatersoninNew Jersey,Philadelphia,Atlantic City, New Jersey,Washington D.C., andLos Angeles. Although recent findings claim that Bangladeshis started arriving during the late 19th centuries from the southern part of current Bangladesh. In some parts ofQueensandManhattanin New York City, there are Bangladeshi restaurant owners ofIndian restaurants,Pakistani restaurants, andBangladeshi restaurants.TheBaishakhi Melacelebration of the Bengali New Year is also held by the Bangladeshi American communities in New York, Paterson, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlantic Cityand other cities annually. The street of3rd Street, Los Angeleshas a large history of Bangladeshis and has officially been dubbed as "Little Bangladesh". In "Little Bangladesh", Bengali Muslims arrangeChaand Raatcelebrations by performing classic, livelyBengali folk songswith the crowds singing along and selling Fuskas (a Bangladeshi street snack of fried semolina dough filled with spicy chickpeas, potatoes and toppings).However, some Bangladeshis residing in New York have settled in newer areas, such asHamtramck, Michigan,Buffalo, New York,Paterson, New Jersey, and many other nearby states due to lower living costs and better job opportunities. Many Bangladeshis in New York City are often Taxi Drivers, Fast-Food Chain Workers, Restaurant Workers, software developer, computer scientists, medical doctors, attorneys, accountants, business owners, company CEO etc. In Atlantic City many work in casinos.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2018American Community Survey, there were 213,372 people of Bangladeshi origin living in the US.
Bangladeshi Canadian refers to a person of Bangladeshi background born in Canada or a Bangladeshi that has migrated to Canada. Before 1971 about 150 Bengali people came to Canada as East Pakistani. The main influx of migration of Bangladeshis started in the early 1980s. Back in 1988, about 700 Bangladeshi families lived in Toronto, though about another 900 families were living in Montreal. Now, Toronto has a sizeable Bangladeshi community significantly larger than Montreal's, with over 50,000 in the city proper and over 65,000 in theGreater Toronto Area. Toronto's eastern boroughs ofEast YorkandScarboroughonDanforth Avenuehave a sizable Bangladeshi population. The area around Danforth east and west ofVictoria Park Avenuehas many Bangladeshi stores and restaurants. TheCrescent Townneighbourhood just north of Danforth, which consists of many high-rise apartment buildings, has primarily a Bengali population. In 2019, a petition was started to renameDanforth Avenue, or at least a part of it, to Bangladesh Avenue. This request was made to honour the large Bangladeshi community that was established there. In July 2023, the City of Toronto officially designated Danforth Avenue, betweenPharmacy AvenueandMain Streetas "Banglatown". Under the Investor Category, about 100 families moved to Canada since 2015.
Bangladeshis in Australia are one of the smallest immigrant communities living in Australia.There are around 41,000 Bangladeshis in Australia.The largest Bangladeshi communities are mainly present in the states ofNew South WalesandVictoria, with large concentrations in the cities of Sydney andMelbourne.
Bangladeshis started arriving in Brazil in the 1980s. There are around 2,000 people of Bangladeshi origin in Brazil with most of them living inSão Pauloas of 2021. Bangladeshi nationals, who live in Brazil, mainly depend on fabrics, clothing and garment trade. But many are service holders and some work in poultry farms, grocery shops and restaurants.
Earliest records of Bengalis in theEuropeancontinent date back to the reign of KingGeorge IIIofEnglandduring the 18th century. One such example is ofJames Achilles Kirkpatrick'shookah-bardar(hookahservant/preparer) who was said to have robbed and cheated Kirkpatrick, making his way to England and stylising himself as thePrince of Sylhet. The man was waited upon by thePrime Minister of Great BritainWilliam Pitt the Younger, and then dined with theDuke of Yorkbefore presenting himself in front of the King.Mass migration started since the days of theBritish Raj, wherelascarsfromSylhetwere often sent to the United Kingdom. Some of these lascars lived in the United Kingdom in port cities, and even married British women. Since then, mass migration has occurred, specifically fromSylhet. Today, theBritish Bangladeshisare a naturalised community in the United Kingdom, running 90% of allSouth Asian cuisinerestaurants and having established numerousethnic enclavesacross the country – most prominent of which isBanglatowninEast London.
The street ofBrick Lanein East London, has a large history of Bangladeshis and has officially been dubbed as "Banglatown", and has hundreds of "Indian" restaurants nearly all owned by Sylheti Bangladeshis. Many British Bangladeshis have made their presence in the UK, often becoming doctors, engineers, and lawyers, but also many have become politicians for theLabourparty, such asRushanara Ali, andTulip Siddiq, as well as London Borough Mayors, such asLutfur RahmanandNasim Ali.
Bangladeshis are one of the largest immigrant populations in Italy.As of 2022, there were 150,692 Bangladeshis in Italy.Most of the Bangladeshis in Italy are based in Lazio, Lombardy and Veneto with large concentrations in Rome, Milan and Venice.