Bangladesh's heavy Saudi dependence in manpower export continues as other markets shrink

Summary:

• Saudi Arabia dominates Bangladesh's overseas employment with 72.5% workers in January
• Illegal visa trading threatens stability of overseas job markets
• European work visa rejections increase due to unauthorized migration
• Malaysia limits Bangladeshi recruitment to the plantation sector
• Remittances rise to $2.19 billion in January, continuing six-month streak

Bangladesh's reliance on Saudi Arabia for manpower export remains a pressing concern, with 72.5% of the country's overseas workers heading to the Gulf nation in January.

This heavy dependence highlights the shrinking opportunities in other labour markets as overall overseas employment saw a 7.33% month-on-month decline.

According to data from the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), Bangladesh sent 97,862 workers abroad in January, reflecting a decline from the previous month but an 11.39% increase compared to January 2024.

Saudi Arabia recruited 76,618 of these workers, further cementing its position as the dominant destination for Bangladesh's manpower export. Qatar (6,880), Singapore (4,847), and Kuwait (2,878) followed, while Malaysia, which has suspended normal recruitment since June 2024, took in 1,286 workers for the plantation sector.

Saudi Arabia hosts an estimated 30 lakh workers from Bangladesh.

According to BMET data, Bangladesh sent 1,03,000 workers abroad in November, with Saudi Arabia alone accounting for 81%. Saudi Arabia's market share rose to a whopping 89% in December.

Labour recruiters have expressed concerns as traditional job markets such as Oman, UAE and Malaysia are either shrinking or closed to new workers.

Bangladesh recorded an inflow of $2.19 billion in remittances in January 2025, according to the central bank. The figure represents a 3.4% increase compared to the same period last year when remittances stood at $2.11 billion. The country has now received more than $2 billion in remittances for six consecutive months

"A major shortcoming of overseas labour flow is its dependence on a single market at any given time. Countries that have become the primary market for Bangladeshi workers for some years in a row, abruptly either cease to take workers or drastically reduce the flow," Tasneem Siddiqui, founding chair of the Refugee and Migratory Movement Research Unit, told TBS yesterday.

"This instability of the labour market to a great exten t is caused by malpractices in the procurement of visas. If we can stop illegal visa tr ading, the risk of closing a market will be reduced," she added.

Siddiqui emphasised collecting job demands with proper assessment of employers by Bangladesh embassies abroad as well as recruiting agencies.

"The Malaysian authorities are only hiring workers from Bangladesh for the plantation sector. Recently, the deadline for sending workers was extended," said Mamun Sarder, Director of BMET.

The deadline for sending workers to the plantation sector has been extended by two months, allowing workers to go to Malaysia until March 31. Additionally, the deadline for the certification of recruitment requests has been extended by 45 days. The Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia will cease certifying recruitment documents on February 15.

Irregularities pose risk to European markets

While facing challenges in the Asian labour market, Bangladesh is also encountering difficulties with its European countries.

Some European countries recruited Bangladeshi workers in January. The countries included Portugal (458), Italy (335), Croatia (300), Hungary (135) and North Macedonia (86). 

However, recruiters are concerned that many Bangladeshi workers are not staying in the countries where they were initially employed, often moving to other EU nations. As a result, European countries have been issuing fewer work visas to Bangladeshis.

The Bangladesh embassy in The Hague recently informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the Croatian government is considering halting the issuance of work permits to Bangladeshi workers due to violations of agreement terms by recruitment agencies. 

A letter dated 23 January mentioned that the Croatian authorities had cited irregularities, such as Bangladeshi workers moving to other Schengen countries despite holding Croatian permits.

In 2024, Croatia issued 12,400 work permits and visas to Bangladeshi workers, but 8,000 of them never arrived in Croatia, and only 50% of the remaining workers are currently employed in the country. This unauthorised migration has been criticised by the European Union, which has urged Croatia to address these issues.

Currently, around 6,000 to 7,000 Bangladeshi workers are employed in Croatia, primarily in construction, restaurants and food delivery. Despite the good working conditions in Croatia, many Bangladeshi workers use Croatian permits to migrate illegally to other Schengen countries.

"We are now seeing an increase in visa rejections from various European countries, including Italy, France and Germany, as many workers are leaving their intended destinations. This is harming the labour market," said Sharmin Akhtar Shumi, chairman of Infinity HCM, a recruiting agency.

She urged the government to raise awareness and take corrective measures. She also emphasised the need to reopen closed labour markets in the Middle East.

Bangladesh recorded an inflow of $2.19 billion in remittances in January 2025, according to the central bank. The figure represents a 3.4% increase compared to the same period last year when remittances stood at $2.11 billion. The country has now received more than $2 billion in remittances for six consecutive months.