Bangladeshis in the cross-hairs of anti-immigrant violence  | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Friday
July 11, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • Subscribe
    • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2025
Bangladeshis in the cross-hairs of anti-immigrant violence 

Thoughts

Musfequr Rahman
29 September, 2019, 02:00 pm
Last modified: 29 September, 2019, 02:04 pm

Related News

  • Active July protesters were targeted for headshots, police fired most: Study
  • MSF report shows rising concern over mob violence in June
  • Evacuation of Bangladeshis: Where do they go next from conflict-ridden Iran?
  • The silent crisis: How the lack of social-emotional skills fuels youth violence in Bangladesh 
  • Jamaat activist expelled over attack on protesters in Chattogram

Bangladeshis in the cross-hairs of anti-immigrant violence 

Local mobs - mainly unruly youths- frequently unleash violent attacks on foreign nationals.

Musfequr Rahman
29 September, 2019, 02:00 pm
Last modified: 29 September, 2019, 02:04 pm
Bangladeshis in the cross-hairs of anti-immigrant violence 

It has been almost six years since the demise of South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and former president Nelson Mandela. With the departure of its beloved Madiba, South Africa did not necessarily return to the pre-egalitarian state, but expatriates living in the country are going through nightmares. 

Local mobs - mainly unruly youths- frequently unleash violent attacks on foreign nationals. In waves of recent anti-immigrant violence, they have assaulted and set fire to business houses and looted shops of immigrants. The miscreants have also killed many of the expatriate owners and workers. 

As per recent statistics availed from the Bangladesh mission in Pretoria, every year over 100 Bangladeshis are killed in South Africa.  These murders are often the results of conflicts with the local South Africans. 
According to official data, of the two million foreign nationals who are currently residing in South Africa, around three lakhs are Bangladeshis. 

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

A small number of the Bangladeshi immigrants in South Africa are professionals while majority of them run electronics and grocery stores and restaurant business.

In the recent spate of violence, according to local media, from September 2 to September 4 of this year, unruly youths and gangsters have vandalized and looted several hundred shops of immigrants, including those owned by Bangladeshis. 
In the face of such horrific attacks, Bangladeshi expatriates in South Africa are living in a state of constant panic of losing their businesses and safety of life. 

After the attacks, the Bangladeshi High commissioner visited the affected areas. Up until now, the Bangladeshi High Commission has not done anything significant other than advising the expats to call the police in case of emergency. 

The High Commissioner recently told a newspaper based in Dhaka that the High Commission could not do much to prevent the killings. Instead, he accused that actions of Bangladeshis- such as hiring goons to kill other Bangladeshi businessmen- in South Africa is "tarnishing the image" of Bangladesh. 

Fear is contagious 
On August 25 this year, two Bangladeshi workers- Ujjal and Alom- were killed in Cape Town. Ujjol owned a grocery where Alom worked as his assistant. 

At the middle of the fateful night, local goons came and demanded money from Ujjol. Upon his refusal, they shot him in the head. He died on the spot. The goons then went behind the shop and killed Alom.  

Many other identical stories have surfaced in the Bangladeshi diasporas in South Africa and the immigrants' panic continues to escalate. 

On January 23 of this year, Bangladeshi shopkeeper Mohin Uddin was brutally killed by extortionists in the Rustenburg province. The next day, his body was found inside a fridge. 

Mohin's story, as reported in Bangladeshi media, unfolded in the similar pattern. The goons came in demanding for money. When denied, they killed Mohin. Poor Mohin migrated to South Africa three years ago for a better life. 

Although the Bangladeshi High Commissioner asked to seek help from the police, in most cases, the victims are afraid of going to the law enforcement agencies. They fear that even if the criminal is arrested, he might later manage to escape custody and attack the victim again or even kill him. 

Why these attacks? 
According to BBC, the recent attacks were triggered by high unemployment in South Africa. Local people blame foreigners for taking away their jobs. 

Currently in South Africa, the unemployment rateis nearly 28 percent, the highest since the labour force survey was introduced 11 years ago in Pretoria.

The social development minister of South Africa admitted to the BBC that the rioters "feared losing their jobs to foreigners." 

A large number of unemployed youths feel jealous with the immigrants who are well off doing businesses or excelling in their respective professions. 

According to Foreign Policy, in the wake of the most recent anti-immigrant violence, hundreds of foreign nationals want to leave South Africa, and some have already goneback to their countries of origin. 

These xenophobic attacks on the foreign nationals in South Africa have put the Ramaphosa government at odds. However, Cyril Ramaphosa looks too shy to call a spade a spade as his government is treating these attacks as mere crimes instead of xenophobia. 

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) government must acknowledge that these attacks are xenophobic and prove its seriousness to end this new wave of hatred. 

On the other hand, despite its limitations, the Bangladeshi High Commission in South Africa must also seek assistance from the South African government and ensure that proper actions are taken to save the Bangladeshis nationals who are now living in an unprecedented state of uncertainty and fear.

Top News

Bangladeshis / violence / cross-hairs / anti-immigrant

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Kunming rising: China's emerging healthcare hub draws Bangladeshi patients
    Kunming rising: China's emerging healthcare hub draws Bangladeshi patients
  • Representational image. Photo: Collected
    2nd round of US-Bangladesh tariff talks set to conclude today as business leaders await breakthrough
  • Photo: Courtesy
    4 arrested, 2 remanded over brutal killing of trader near Mitford Hospital

MOST VIEWED

  • In terms of stream of education, girls maintained their excellence as well. Photo: TBS
    SSC 2025: Girls dominate boys by over 5%
  • Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin/TBS
    SSC, equivalent results: Pass rate drops to 68.45%, GPA-5 also declines
  • The overall pass rate across all boards this year, 68.45%, is significantly lower than last year's. Photo: Focus Bangla
    SSC 2025: Rajshahi board records highest pass rate, Barishal lowest
  • How S Alam’s Global Islami Bank cooked Tk2,259cr loss into Tk128cr profit
    How S Alam’s Global Islami Bank cooked Tk2,259cr loss into Tk128cr profit
  • Representational image. Photo: TBS
    SSC 2025: 73.63% pass rate among technical students, 68.09% at Madrasahs
  • Economist Abul Barkat; Photo: Courtesy
    Economist Abul Barkat arrested in graft case

Related News

  • Active July protesters were targeted for headshots, police fired most: Study
  • MSF report shows rising concern over mob violence in June
  • Evacuation of Bangladeshis: Where do they go next from conflict-ridden Iran?
  • The silent crisis: How the lack of social-emotional skills fuels youth violence in Bangladesh 
  • Jamaat activist expelled over attack on protesters in Chattogram

Features

Kunming rising: China's emerging healthcare hub draws Bangladeshi patients

Kunming rising: China's emerging healthcare hub draws Bangladeshi patients

4h | Panorama
Photo: Collected/BBC

What Hitler’s tariff policy misfire can teach the modern world

1d | The Big Picture
Illustration: TBS

Behind closed doors: Why women in Bangladesh stay in abusive marriages

1d | Panorama
Purbachl’s 144-acre Sal forest is an essential part of the area’s biodiversity. Within it, 128 species of plants and 74 species of animals — many of them endangered — have been identified. Photo: Syed Zakir Hossain/TBS

A forest saved: Inside the restoration of Purbachal's last Sal grove

1d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Renowned economist Abul Barkat imprisoned

Renowned economist Abul Barkat imprisoned

3h | TBS Today
All of Iran's uranium still intact, Israel claims

All of Iran's uranium still intact, Israel claims

2h | TBS World
Trump-Netanyahu in new strategy on Gaza issue

Trump-Netanyahu in new strategy on Gaza issue

4h | TBS World
Shocking science: why birds stay safe on electricity lines

Shocking science: why birds stay safe on electricity lines

5h | TBS Stories
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net