Bangladesh Targets 1.4 Million Overseas Jobs as Government Moves to Reopen Key Labor Markets
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The Bangladesh government is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to reopen the Malaysian labor market, aiming to restore the Southeast Asian nation as a primary destination for the country’s workforce. During a parliamentary session on Monday, State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Nurul Haque Nur, speaking on behalf of Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury, indicated that recent high-level ministerial visits to Malaysia have paved the way for an expected resumption of worker recruitment. Malaysia currently ranks as the second-largest labor market for Bangladesh after Saudi Arabia.
The government has set an ambitious target to facilitate overseas employment for approximately 1.4 million workers in the upcoming fiscal year. According to government data, from July 2025 to May 2026, 933,815 Bangladeshi nationals successfully secured employment abroad. Since 2000, over 14.5 million citizens have found work internationally, supported by memoranda of understanding with 18 countries. Despite these figures, the ministry is working to navigate challenges in labor markets in Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, while continuing to supply personnel to established hubs including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Romania, and Portugal.
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Addressing concerns regarding the exploitation of workers, officials acknowledged the rise of unscrupulous practices, such as the use of shell companies to issue fraudulent demand letters that facilitate human trafficking under the guise of legal recruitment. State Minister Nur emphasized that the government is tightening oversight at diplomatic missions to verify demand letters, though he noted that resource constraints within the ministry’s 30 labor welfare wings across 27 countries remain a hurdle. To combat these irregularities, the ministry has begun taking punitive measures, including the suspension of three recruiting agencies accused of facilitating the deployment of at least 30 Bangladeshi nationals to the Russia-Ukraine war front under the pretext of legitimate employment.
The government also outlined efforts to bolster support for expatriates, including proposals to increase the ceiling for collateral-free loans from 300,000 to 500,000 taka, while maintaining an eight percent interest rate. Regarding worker welfare and safety, the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to covering the costs of repatriating the remains of deceased workers, including undocumented individuals, on humanitarian grounds. Furthermore, the government is expanding the network of “safe homes” in the Middle East and implementing stricter protocols for the recruitment of female workers to ensure adherence to international labor standards. Discussions are also underway with the Finance Ministry to provide further compensation to expatriates who faced hardships during recent domestic political movements.
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