Reza Mahmud :
Bangladesh’s most vital manpower export sector has become heavily reliant on Saudi Arabia, leaving potential new markets largely untapped, according to industry stakeholders.
They noted that many traditional manpower destinations remain closed, and emerging markets are underutilised due to ongoing challenges.
Data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) shows that 44,249 Bangladeshi workers went to Saudi Arabia in September, making it the largest destination.
In comparison, Qatar and Singapore hired 6,395 and 5,614 Bangladeshi workers, respectively.
In August, the UAE hired 5,999 workers from Bangladesh but closed its doors to Bangladeshi manpower shortly thereafter, highlighting the significant gap between Saudi Arabia and other destinations.
BMET data further indicates that of the 1,305,453 Bangladeshi workers sent abroad in recent years, 351,683 went to Malaysia.
Of the 698,558 workers sent abroad up to September this year, 374,383 were hired by Saudi Arabia, with 92,906 going to Malaysia. Experts have pointed to the closure of several key labour markets as a major factor in the sector’s vulnerability.
Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former Secretary General of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), stated, “With Malaysia, one of our largest labour markets, remaining closed, the sector has become heavily reliant on Saudi Arabia.”
He urged the government to take swift, strategic action to reopen closed markets.
Mohammed Fakhrul Islam, Joint Secretary General-1 of BAIRA’s immediate past executive committee, echoed this sentiment, emphasising the need for the government to negotiate with key host countries, including Malaysia, the UAE, Oman, and Bahrain, to keep their labour markets accessible.
“Many European countries have high demand for Bangladeshi manpower, but without embassies or visa centres there, workers need to travel India for visa processing,” said Fakhrul Islam.
He encouraged the government to explore online or on-arrival visa systems and to increase diplomatic efforts to streamline visa processes.
BAIRA leaders warned against relying solely on traditional markets, as opportunities are emerging in European and Central Asian countries such as Germany, Italy, Greece, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, which have a high demand for foreign labour.
However, a lack of visa centres and consular facilities in Bangladesh has slowed manpower exports to these regions.
“We could potentially send five to six thousand workers to each of these countries, but we are currently only sending between 200 and 400,” one recruiter commented.
BAIRA leaders recently met with Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain, stressing the need to open visa centres for these countries in Bangladesh.
They noted that easing visa procedures through diplomatic negotiation could boost manpower exports and significantly increase foreign currency earnings.
The Foreign Affairs Adviser assured them that the government prioritises this sector to accelerate national economic growth.
