Amid ME mayhem: Overseas employment rebounds strongly

Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid :

The country’s overseas employment market rebounded strongly in February, with manpower exports rising by 64 per cent compared with the previous month, despite growing tensions in the Middle East casting uncertainty over the sector.

According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), 154,508 Bangladeshi workers left for overseas destinations in February, up from 94,189 in January.

The January figure had marked a 21 per cent decline from December’s unusually high total of 119,389, which officials attributed to year-end clearance of pending applications.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Bangladesh typically sent between 60,000 and 70,000 workers abroad each month. In recent months, that average has increased to around 100,000.

Saudi Arabia remained the leading destination, receiving 105,422 workers in February. Singapore followed with 9,439 workers, Qatar with 9,263, Kuwait with 4,287, and the Maldives with 3,760. Other destinations included Jordan, Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iraq, Laos, Portugal, Italy and Japan.

The February surge reversed January’s slowdown, when Saudi Arabia received 64,567 workers, down from 83,876 in December. Migration to Qatar, Singapore and the Maldives also declined in January, while the UAE recorded a modest increase.

Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, a member of the Executive Committee of BAIRA, warned that prolonged instability in the Middle East could disrupt overseas employment. “Around 70 per cent of our labour market depends on the Middle East. If tensions persist, it will be a setback,” he said.

However, he noted that Qatar had announced a one-month extension for visas that had expired or were about to expire, describing it as a positive development. He added that ensuring the safety of Bangladeshi nationals abroad must remain the government’s priority.

Ali Haider Chowdhury, former Secretary General of BAIRA, said the renewed conflict had prompted a reassessment of Bangladesh’s reliance on the region.

While Saudi Arabia remains the largest market, he stressed the need to diversify into new destinations. “We must reduce dependence on a single market and expand elsewhere,” he said, expressing hope that the current government would explore new opportunities.

He also emphasised the importance of developing skilled workers to access European and Far Eastern markets.

Despite fluctuations in manpower exports, remittance inflows have remained robust. Bangladesh received $3.02 billion in remittances in February 2026, a 19.15 per cent increase compared with $2.52 billion in February 2025, according to Bangladesh Bank. In January 2026, expatriates sent home $3.17 billion, one of the highest monthly totals on record.

From July 2025 to 28 February 2026, total remittance inflows reached $22.45 billion, up 21.4 per cent from $18.49 billion during the same period of the previous fiscal year.

Officials attributed February’s rise partly to increased transfers ahead of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr. Bankers also cited a continued shift from informal transfer systems, known as hundi, to formal banking channels.

A senior banker noted that remittances through formal channels had increased significantly following political changes in August 2024, which reduced informal market activity.

However, industry insiders cautioned that ongoing instability in the Middle East could pose risks to the positive momentum in overseas employment.