Record manpower export in FY24, but will it continue?

TBS Illustration

Despite June marking the lowest manpower export in 33 months, Bangladesh achieved a record manpower export of 11.96 lakh in the just-concluded fiscal year, surpassing the previous record of 11.37 lakh in FY23, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).

In FY24, around 44% of migrant workers went to Saudi Arabia, while over 22% went to Malaysia, which resumed recruiting workers from Bangladesh in August 2022 after a four-year suspension.

The surge in manpower export is also reflected in the inward remittances for FY24, which ended on 30 June, with remittance inflows increasing by 10.66% to nearly $24 billion.

However, labour exporters are concerned about the future as three major recruiting countries – Malaysia, Oman, and the Maldives – have halted hiring less-skilled workers from Bangladesh.

In response, sector insiders have sought the government's proactive role in reopening these markets through diplomatic efforts and exploring new labour destinations.

Malaysia has already closed its foreign labour market since 1 June amid numerous allegations of corruption and mismanagement raised against the responsible recruiting agencies.

The Malaysian authorities permitted only 100 private and one government recruiting agency from Bangladesh to send workers.

"Malaysia's labour market closure has to do with the role of a syndicate of 100 recruiting agencies. There is now an attempt by this syndicate to gain control over other labour markets, including those in the United Arab Emirates and Libya," Mohammed Fakhrul Islam, joint secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira), told TBS.

"If these closed labour markets cannot be reopened by breaking free of the syndicate's control, the export of manpower will suffer greatly. We have already urged the authorities to advocate for allowing all legal recruiting agencies to send workers at Bangladesh's joint working group meeting with Malaysia," he added.

Though Malaysia wanted more than 5 lakh Bangladeshi workers since it reopened the labour market in August 2022, no more than 4.94 lakh were able to reach their destination.

Around 17,000 workers could not fly as the recruiting agencies failed to provide tickets before a 31 May deadline set by the destination country.

Consequently, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment has been investigating the allegations to take actions against the responsible agencies.

Malaysia hired the second-highest number of workers in the last financial year after Saudi Arabia, predominantly in the manufacturing, plantation, construction, and service sectors.

However, a common allegation was raised against both of the destinations to the effect that thousands of Bangladeshi workers did not get their promised jobs.

Saudi Arabia, the largest destination of Bangladeshi workers, recruited 5.25 lakh workers in the last fiscal year.

However, recruitment in the country also declined to only 30,000 last month, as the BMET did not issue clearance for two weeks against single visa holders who lack attestation from the Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh.

The steps were taken to prevent Bangladeshi workers from becoming unemployed in Saudi Arabia.

Baira leader Fakhrul Islam said these measures had affected Bangladesh labour recruitment in Saudi Arabia.

"Although the BMET relaxed the rules, it now requires a demand letter and employment contract before issuing clearance cards," he added.

In addition to joblessness, another setback in Bangladeshi labour recruitment has been the predominance of less-skilled workers being sent, according to Baira.

Saudi Arabia primarily recruited construction workers, cleaners, and housemaids. Additionally, semi-skilled positions, such as mason, carpenter, welder, plumber, and driver were also in demand.

Meanwhile, the UAE ranked as the third-highest labour destination for Bangladeshis last year, followed by Qatar, Singapore, Oman, and Kuwait.

However, these Middle Eastern destinations have recently slowed down their hiring of less-skilled workers, which is a major concern for the future of foreign employment, according to recruiters.

Currently, only some government and semi-government companies in the UAE are hiring workers from Bangladesh. For instance, Dubai Taxi Corporation, a state-affiliated entity, has expressed interest in hiring 2,000 taxi drivers and motorcyclists annually.

Oman has recently relaxed its visa suspension for skilled-category workers, but less-skilled workers are still not being considered, a restriction imposed since last September.

"Three years in a row, we have been sending over one million workers. However, not all countries will consistently employ workers equally due to practical reasons. We have dispatched a substantial number of workers, so we must strive to sustain this trend without becoming complacent," Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former secretary-general of Baira, told TBS.

He urged that greater attention be given to the European-Australian labour market for Bangladeshi workers, saying, "Countries such as Croatia, Poland, Hungary, and Portugal are hiring workers. Since they prefer skilled workers, we should send workers based on their specific needs."