‘THEY told me he would reach Italy. Instead, I got a call saying my brother died in a boat hull full of fuel, suffocated with eight others.’
This is not a fictional line. This is the heart breaking truth that countless Bangladeshi families are living with — entrapped by the illusion of a better life in Europe, only to lose their loved ones in the sands of Libya or the waves of the deadly sea route to Europe.
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Behind dream
FOR years, Libya has stood as a false promise — a so-called gateway to Europe. But for thousands of Bangladeshis, that gateway has turned into a prison of torture, extortion, and death.
Over 50 per cent of Bangladeshi migrants in Libya are known to have entered through Turkey, while others pass through the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Most are young men, barely in their twenties or early thirties. They spend between Tk 5 to 16 lakh, often selling land or taking high-interest loans, thinking they are investing in a better future. But what many of them end up buying is their own captivity.
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Captivity, torture and ransom
A 2024 report by BRAC Migration Programme reveals horrifying reality. Over 63 per cent of undocumented Bangladeshi migrants in Libya were forcibly detained. And 78 per cent were tortured — beaten, starved and denied medical care. Families of victims received videos showing their sons being tortured, demanding more money after the initial payments.
Some young men had their fingernails pulled out on camera. Others died slowly without medicine. Even after paying everything, families lost their sons.
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Mass graves in sea route
SOME never even made it that far. In January 2025, a boat carrying 56 migrants capsized off the Libyan coast. At least 23 Bangladeshi bodies washed ashore. Just a month earlier, several Bangladeshis suffocated inside a boat’s fuel tank — locked in, left to die.
According to Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, over 67,000 migrants crossed the deadly sea route to Europe from Libya and Tunisia in 2024. Many of them were Bangladeshis. Far too many never reached the other side.
Trafficking industry built on lies.
This is not random tragedy — it is a business.
Human trafficking has become an industry. Local agents in Bangladesh coordinate with smugglers in Libya. In 2025, a trafficking ring moving 17 Bangladeshis towards the Mediterranean was dismantled. Libyan officials confirmed what we feared — migrants are bought and sold in detention centres, sometimes even handed back to traffickers disguised as guards or aid workers.
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Why they still go
WHY do they still go? Because there is nothing else. No job, no stability, just pressure — from poverty, from society, from the belief that going abroad is the only way.
Agents promise shortcuts: ‘Italy in one month, no documents needed.’ Families mortgage their future for a dream that turns into a nightmare. And every month, more young men step onto that same dangerous path.
This is not just a Libya problem. Its ours.
We must stop pretending this is someone else’s issue. This is ours.
The traffickers live among us. The families sending money live next door. The young men dying in the desert are our brothers, cousins, neighbours.
This is about justice. This is about protecting our people. And it has to stop.
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Way forward
IF WE are truly serious about stopping this, we must act. We should launch awareness campaigns in the most affected areas. Arresting and prosecuting local recruiters and their partners abroad should be top priority. We need to ensure every migrant goes through proper pre-departure counselling and registration. We also need to build a national database of trafficking victims.
Authorities must work closely with Interpol and relevant Bangladeshi law enforcement and government agencies. Engaging with NGOs and INGOs, working on trafficking prevention and migrant protection needs to strengthen. The judiciary system must act properly — ensuring that justice is delivered swiftly and within a short time frame. Maintaining coordination with Bangladeshi missions abroad, especially in Libya, Egypt, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates is crucial.
And above all, we must educate families and youth that Libya is not a path to Europe — it is a trap.
If someone promises you Europe through Libya, they are not offering hope. They are selling a lie. You are not boarding a ship to a better future. You are stepping onto a boat that may never reach land. Please, do not pay with your dreams. Do not let your family drown in grief. The wrong ship does not take you to Europe. It sinks you in the deadly sea route to Europe.
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Rayhan Kabir is a sector specialistÌý(case management) of migration programme at BRAC.