Number of Bangladeshi imams, muezzins in Bahrain dwindling

"I used to lead huge congregations during Friday's Jummah prayers, and ministers, MPs, dignitaries and devotees of various classes and professions; people of Arabic, Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani and other origins stood behind me. I feel anxious when I remember losing that prestige as an expatriate imam."

Bangladeshi Khatib Shayekh Harun Azizi Nadvir said this while recalling his days in Bahrain. He had lived in the country for 21 years.

He went to Bahrain in 1998 and worked as a khatib at the Abdullah orphan mosque in Barbar area. He returned home in Cox's Bazar one-and-a-half years ago, leaving behind his life as an imam in Bahrain.

Abdul Jalil Hamad, a Bahraini imam, was killed by a Bangladeshi muezzin Kamal Uddin, of Sida mosque in Moharrak area, on August 5, 2018. Following this incident, more than 250 Bangladeshi expatriates, who worked as imams and muezzins in that country, had to return to Bangladesh. Fifty-four Bangladeshi imams-muezzins in Bahrain are also passing their days in anxiety.

Muezzin Kamal Uddin was arrested, tried and executed in Bahrain in the murder case on July 27, 2019.

Bangladesh Society in Bahrain President Asif Ahmed said that following the incident, manpower export from Bangladesh was suspended and the suspension still remains.

According to expatriate Bangladeshis, imams-muezzins have been living and working in Bahrain since 1980. More than 300 imams-muezzins were discharging their duties there till 2018. And 85 percent of the mosques employed Bangladeshi muezzins there. Among the two lakh Bangladeshi expatriates, the imams-muezzins were living there with esteem.

According to sources at the Bangladesh embassy, preparations to send back 25 of the 54 remaining Bangladeshi imams-muezzins were taken by the employer Sunni Waqf. The decision was halted due to the suspension of flights because of coronavirus situation.

When the travel situation becomes normal, the rest of the Bangladeshi imams-muezzins might be sent back.

Imams-muezzins from Yemen, Pakistan and India would be recruited in the posts, sources said.

The remaining Bangladeshi imams-muezzins have urged the Bangladesh embassy in Bahrain to settle the issue diplomatically.

According to them, the main culprit of the murder case was punished and a large number of imams-muezzins were sent back to Bangladesh. So they want the Bahrain government to consider their situation.

Bangladeshi community organisers said the embassy tried several times to settle the issue.

The embassy authorities, especially the ambassador, also tried their best to resume manpower export to Bahrain, they said.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Bahrain Dr Nazrul Islam told The Daily Star, "I have communicated with ministries of foreign affairs, home affairs, immigration department and Sunni Waqf several times through phone calls, webinar, letters. They said that they have no authority to deal with the matter as it is related to the highest authorities."

He also said, "Recently, an opportunity has been created to legalise the status of 40,000 undocumented Bangladeshi workers; 25,000 of them have already become documented. This was a big challenge for us. The Bahrain government, during this coronavirus situation, also extended their supports to us."

"The [murder] painful incident is likely behind the overlooking of the issue related to imams-muezzins, we think," he said.

"We will continue to try further nevertheless. We will communicate again regarding the urge of the imams-muezzins," he added.

The writer is a freelance journalist