Dhaka, May 13 -- Shafiqul Islam left Satkhira Sadar Upazila carrying more debt than dignity, borrowing from multiple sources just to settle old loans before boarding a flight to Lebanon in search of a better life.

There was no war in West Asia then. No missiles crossing skies. No reason, his family believed, for fear.

"He had no reason to worry or anticipate difficulty going abroad," his relatives said. "His family was also unconcerned."

But the promise of Lebanon, once a symbol of escape from rural poverty, began to unravel soon after he arrived.

Shafiqul, 38, settled in Zebdine in southern Lebanon's Nabatieh region. Alongside him, 26-year-old Nahidul Islam from Assasuni Upazila also worked in the same war-shadowed country.

As Israe...