Anti-illegal immigration drive: US deports 36 Bangladeshis

POBNEWS24, Dhaka Jan 20, 2026 : The US deported 36 more Bangladeshi nationals on Tuesday as part of its anti-illegal immigration drive. They arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on a special US military flight at 12 noon.
Shariful Hasan, Associate Director of BRAC’s Migration and Youth Platform, said that after arriving at the airport at noon, BRAC provided emergency assistance, including transportation, to the returning workers with the assistance of the Expatriate Welfare Desk and Aviation Security (AVSEC).
Of the 36, 21 are from Noakhali district, 2 from Lakshmipur district and one each from Munshiganj, Dhaka, Lalmonirhat, Shariatpur, Barguna, Feni, Sirajganj, Gazipur, Kishoreganj, Tangail, Comilla, Chittagong and Netrokona districts. With this, the number of Bangladeshis deported from the United States since the beginning of 2025 has reached 293.
Speaking to the returnees, BRAC’s Migration Program said that most of them first went to Brazil legally with a clearance from the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET). Later, they entered the United States illegally via Mexico. They applied for asylum there, but after a long legal process, the US administration decided to send them back to Bangladesh.
Returnee Zahidul Islam from Noakhali said that he handed over about 8 million taka to brokers in the hope of going to the United States via South Africa. Sultana Akhter from Gazipur said that he gave 3 million taka to brokers to cross the Mexico border via Brazil. But all the money was wasted. Apart from this, Mir Hasan from Noakhali spent 5.5 million taka, Riyadul Islam 50 million taka and Rakib 6 million taka but finally had to return home carrying the burden of failure.
Shariful Hasan, associate director (Migration and Youth Platform) of BRAC, said, “Many of those who have returned in the last few rounds first went to Brazil and then to the United States. The question is, when the government gives permission to send workers legally to Brazil, should they really go to work in Brazil or are they using it as a transit to the United States? Who is responsible for the fact that each person is returning empty-handed after spending 40 to 55 lakh taka? The agencies that sent these workers and those involved in the approval process should be held accountable.”