'We can hear the bombs': Hundreds of Bangladeshis hope to escape Sudan violence

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) — Hundreds of Bangladeshi expatriates working in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, mostly as workers at different factories, are acutely suffering from food crises and frequent robberies in the war-torn Northeast African nation.

"It's almost two weeks since the deadly fighting has been continuing and we are waiting for a safe exit to our motherland," Md. Anisur Rahman, President of Bangladesh Association – Sudan, told Anadolu over the phone.

He added about 1,000 Bangladeshis are currently employed in Sudan, mostly as factory workers, and of them, 600 are in the capital city of Khartoum.

“Most of the Bangladeshi people working in this city are workers and doing jobs at different factories. But almost all the factory owners have already left Khartoum and are now living nearly 300-400 kilometers away (about 185-250 miles) in other cities for safety," Rahman noted.

He claimed that many were now without food, money, or any guarantee of safety.

"The media is reporting about a cease-fire. But, the ground reality is that fighting continues unabated. We can hear the bombs right now," the Bangladeshi community leader said.

At least 460 people have been killed and more than 4,000 injured in clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 15, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the two sides concerning military security reform, with clashes ongoing despite a second truce between them.

- Saving lives 1st priority

Md. Sohidul Islam, 40, a Bangladeshi expatriate in Sudan, migrated nearly a year ago, spending nearly $4,000 and dreaming of financial prosperity.

To date, he has been unable to pay back the loans his family borrowed from various sources to fund his journey.

"A worse destiny awaits us and all our dreams of escaping poverty have been destroyed due to the war in Sudan. But, my main priority now is to get my husband back unharmed," Islam's wife Moshammat Fati Begum told Anadolu from her village home, located in a remote area of Bangladesh's northern district of Natore.

After hours of attempts, Anadolu was able to contact Islam, who has hunkered down in a house with other Bangladeshi coworkers, over the phone.

"There's no mobile network most of the time. Sometimes, we get network and internet access with very weak frequency. Whenever we get an internet connection, we just send voice SMS (messages) to our families so they don't worry about us," Islam told Anadolu, also in a voice note via online communication app imo.

Islam and his fellow Bangladeshis in Sudan are now concerned about their chances for a safe exit as fighting continues and airstrikes are launched on a regular basis.

- Frequent robberies

Rahman also said that the crises and shortages that have arisen in Khartoum due to the conflict had pushed many people in the city to criminal behavior, including looting and robbery.

"Bangladeshi nationals are one of their prime targets," he said, adding that cell phones, cash, and other belongings were being stolen.

In one incident several days ago, a group of almost 300 people "attacked a mess of Bangladeshi nationals and looted everything, including dishes of food," Rahman said.

Preferring not to be named, other Bangladeshi migrants in the country accused authorities in their country of failing to take effective measures to evacuate them.

However, Bangladeshi officials have said they were working to bring back Bangladeshi nationals from Sudan, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Seheli Sabrin telling Anadolu in a written message: "Our Mission's officials are arranging repatriation of the Bangladeshi citizens wishing to return. They will be repatriated very soon by liaising with foreign governments."

She added that so far, several hundred Bangladeshi nationals had been registered for return.

Rahman said he provided a list of 600 Bangladeshi nationals with detailed information and that they would leave Khartoum on May 2 to return via Saudi Arabia.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​