TDS Desk:

Allegations of harassment, torture, and illegal migration have long plagued the process of sending Bangladeshi workers to overseas labour markets. There have also been serious complaints about syndicates operating around both new and old destinations. Data from various government and private agencies indicate that a number of recruiting agencies are involved in such irregularities.

Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, expatriate Bangladeshis and aspiring migrant workers expected the subsequent interim government to undertake reforms in the sector and open up new labour markets. In reality, during its one and a half years in office, the interim government did not take effective initiatives to reopen closed markets. Instead, several countries, including neighbouring India, imposed stricter visa policies for Bangladeshis, further shrinking employment opportunities abroad. Amid this situation, 282 new recruiting agencies were granted licences in phases without thoroughly verifying existing allegations against agencies already operating in the market, raising questions about oversight and governance.

At one time, Bangladesh’s labour market extended from South Asia to the Middle East, the Gulf region, and parts of Africa. However, due to persistent allegations of worker harassment, abuse of female workers, and human trafficking, those markets have gradually narrowed and are now largely centred on Saudi Arabia. The BNP government will now face complex bilateral challenges in reopening markets that had closed in the past. Restoring labour markets that have contracted due to diplomatic strains during the interim period will also pose a major challenge.

After assuming office, the interim government showed the most visible initiative in reopening the suspended labour market in Malaysia. As part of that process, the adviser to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment at that time, Asif Nazrul, visited the country. At the time, he said Malaysia would recruit the highest number of workers from Bangladesh. However, the initiative did not succeed; instead, the Malaysian government imposed 10 stringent conditions for hiring workers.

With the increase in the number of recruiting agencies, complaints of harassment involving migrant workers seeking repatriation have also risen steadily. According to data from the Monitoring and Enforcement Wing of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), 4,703 complaints were filed against various agencies in 2025. Of these, only 2,054 complaints — 43.68 percent — were resolved. More than half, 56.32 percent, remained pending at the end of the year.

Migration experts say the interim government failed to take the expected steps to reform the labour market. The elected government will need to adopt a comprehensive and coordinated plan of action. Long-standing stagnation, irregularities, and policy weaknesses must be addressed through firm structural reforms. Bringing the number of recruiting agencies to a rational level, taking strict action against dishonest syndicates involved in irregularities, and strengthening institutional frameworks are essential. With political will, significant success can be achieved in the sector. Sound policy and implementation could substantially increase remittance inflows. The expatriate sector requires a long-term strategy to move forward. Experts believe that only persistent reforms, not immediate announcements, can place the sector on a stable and robust footing.

Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) founding chair Tasneem Siddiqui said substantial success is possible in the migration sector if there is political commitment. She told journalists, “The new government can’t afford to treat the expatriate sector lightly. Merely running the ministry, as in the past, won’t be enough. The government’s first priority should be to streamline the entire sector. The number of recruiting agencies must be brought to a rational level, strict action must be taken against unscrupulous syndicates, and institutional structures must be strengthened. The sector’s regulatory body, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), should be upgraded into a full-fledged directorate to establish integrated management under its authority.”

In neighbouring India, expatriates sent home more than $135 billion in remittances in 2025. In the same year, remittance inflows to Bangladesh stood at about $33 billion. In the manpower export sector, India has 1,988 recruiting agencies. By contrast, according to data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), Bangladesh currently has 2,676 such agencies. Including newly licensed firms, the total now stands at nearly 3,000.

Former joint secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), Fakhrul Islam, said none of the country’s agencies would be able to meet the 10 conditions imposed by the Malaysian government. “This has been done as a result of the malpractice of the unscrupulous syndicate. Four hundred agencies submitted false documents to the interim government, and those were forwarded to the Malaysian authorities without verification. False information was provided officially,” he alleged.

In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates was once the second-largest destination for Bangladeshi workers. However, worker migration to that market has remained informally suspended for the past two years. During the mass uprising, Bangladeshi workers in the UAE took part in protests, after which the issuance of work visas was halted. The interim government failed to reopen this promising market. According to BMET data, labour markets for Bangladeshi workers have been closed over the past decade in Oman, Bahrain, Libya, Sudan, Egypt, and Romania.

As opportunities through legal channels have narrowed, irregular migration has increased. According to the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) of the International Organization for Migration, Bangladesh ranked first in 2025 among nationalities entering Europe by sea during the interim government’s tenure. A total of 20,462 Bangladeshis travelled to various European countries outside regular channels that year, many of whom fell victim to human trafficking.

These activities have also affected Bangladeshi students abroad. Several universities in the United Kingdom suspended admissions of Bangladeshi students. In addition, the United States, Denmark, and Austria imposed stricter measures on Bangladeshi students.

During the tenure of the Awami League government, there was no major long-term initiative to send skilled workers abroad. Although the interim government made various promises, no concrete initiatives were undertaken in the labour market based on those commitments. Instead, several controversial projects initiated under the Awami League government were carried forward, without a visible assessment of whether those projects would meaningfully benefit prospective migrant workers or enjoy practical acceptance.

In 2016, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment undertook a project to build Technical Training Centres (TTCs) in 40 upazilas to develop skilled manpower for domestic and foreign labour markets. However, despite spending BDT 15 billion, BMET has delivered only one-third of the targeted training capacity.

The BNP’s election manifesto pledged to dismantle syndicates and fraud in overseas employment and remove all barriers to manpower exports. It also proposed introducing expatriate cards, establishing an Overseas Skills Investment Park, setting up foreign language e-learning centres, creating a digital database of skilled workers, and forming a migration market research institute.

When asked about plans to reform the labour market and the government’s broader strategy, State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Md Nurul Haque, told journalists, “We’ve just assumed office. Our first task is to fully understand the ministry’s overall activities, capacities, and limitations, and to identify bureaucratic complexities in order to create a workable environment. Over the past one and a half years, the interim government served during a period of crisis and tried to do what it could with sincerity. Once we begin work, we’ll be able to assess the progress and gaps in each area clearly. Practical and well-planned steps will be taken regarding recruiting licences, reducing migration costs, reopening closed labour markets, and addressing complexities within BMET. Although the global economic slowdown has somewhat contracted labour markets, as a populous country, our goal will be to expand overseas employment. In particular, by sending skilled manpower — nurses, doctors, teachers, and other professionals — instead of unskilled workers, we can create new opportunities in the international market. At the same time, we’ll prioritise creating new employment avenues at home and abroad, as well as rehabilitating returnee migrants.”

According to data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), a total of around one million (1,131,173) Bangladeshis migrated to various countries. Of them, 66.72 percent — 754,671 workers — went to Saudi Arabia. Other destinations included Singapore with 70,182 workers, Kuwait with 42,735, and the Maldives with 40,159. In addition, 13,752 workers went to the United Arab Emirates, 12,301 to Jordan, and 12,262 to Cambodia.

Ali Haider Chowdhury, former secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), said there had been no visible progress during the interim government’s one-and-a-half to two-year tenure in expanding key labour markets, exploring new destinations, or implementing meaningful reforms in the sector. Speaking to journalists, he said, “The expectations from a political government are high. The expatriate sector has been under various pressures and continues to face challenges. As the current government has assumed office with a political mandate, we hope it’ll prioritise the expatriate sector. The government has already indicated that it’ll keep the sector as a focus point, which is a positive sign. However, beyond policy declarations, practical measures are now essential. In particular, diplomatic efforts must be intensified to reopen labour markets that have remained closed for a long time.”

According to data from the Bangladesh Bank, remittance inflows through formal channels reached nearly $33 billion in 2025 — the highest ever recorded in a single year in the country’s history. Sector insiders said that amid economic slowdown and global uncertainty, sustaining foreign exchange reserves will require structural reform of Bangladesh’s overseas labour markets and building them on a sustainable, skills-based foundation across multiple destinations worldwide.