News Desk :
Xenophobic attacks against Bangladeshis in South Africa continued till last night as mobs looted and vandalised several shops and malls owned by Bangladeshi expatriates in Free State province’s Brandfort.
Around 50 shops owned by Bangladeshis were looted, said Sumon Chowdhury, who has been living in the country for the last 17 years.
Several hundred Bangladeshis who live in Brandfort remain in fear and anxiety following last night’s incident, said Anisur Rahman, another Bangladeshi expatriate over phone.Last week, hundreds of shops owned by Bangladeshi expatriates were vandalised, torched and looted in sporadic xenophobic attacks in Free State province’s Bloemfontein.
The waves of such attacks began since May 16 after protests broke out over poor service delivery by the local government. This was the largest attack on migrants in Bloemfontein in the last 13 years, Bangladeshi expatriates told the media.
Although no Bangladeshi casualties were reported, the expatriates are now facing uncertainty over their future and security.
Earlier, xenophobic attacks were carried out on migrants, including Bangladeshis, in Bloemfontein in 2008, 2012, and 2019.
According to an estimate of the Bangladesh high commission in South Africa, around three lakh Bangladeshis live in the country. Most of them are involved in businesses while a small number of them are professionals.
