Bangladesh should start exploring new labour market as the manpower export to Malaysia—the second largest destination of Bangladeshi workers after the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Oman—the second largest destination of Bangladeshi workers in the Gulf countries – virtually remained closed after May 31, 2024, according to available sources said.   

Bangladesh exported a total of 92,685 workers to Malaysia, the Southeast Asian country (28.90 per cent of total export) during the January–June (only 149 workers went to Malysia in June)  period of the current calendar year, according to the Statistics of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET)

Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Khorshed Khastagir while talking to this correspondent recently said “Bangladesh exported a total of 351,683 workers (26.94 per cent of total export ) in 2023 and a total of 92,685 during the January-June, 2024 with total of 444,368 workers during the last 18 months. The Malaysia government has stopped recruitment of new manpower as quotas are being filled up in the Southeast Asian country.”

Meanwhile, Bangladesh sent a total of 508,978 workers during January—June period of the current calendar year – a total of 87,852 in January, 74,306 workers in February, and 74,679 in March, 85,400 in April and 131,696 workers in May and 55,045 workers in June. However, export of manpower in June dropped 58.20 per cent in June compared to manpower export in May, 2024.

Saudi Arabia was the top destination of Bangladeshi workers during the January-June of the current calendar year, 2024 with 254,016 workers (over 49.91 cent of the market share), followed by Malaysia with  92,685 workers (18.21 per cent),  Qatar with 39,777  (7.82%), UAE with 33,465 workers (7.82  per cent), Singapore with 25,998 (5.11 per cent), Jordan with 8217 workers (1.61 per cent), Kuwait with 13,687 workers (2.69 per cent), Italy with 580 workers (0.11 per cent) , Japan with 455 workers (0.09 % ) and the UK with 2632 workers (0.52%), according to BMET data.

Reopening of the Malaysian market in 2023 was a catalyst behind the growth in recent months as the country attracted the second largest number of Bangladeshi workers in a single month after Saudi Arabia.

Recruiting agencies say that Malaysia is a more preferable destination for Bangladeshi workers than Middle Eastern countries because of its comparatively better salary structure and weather conditions that are almost similar to Bangladesh's.

Until the ban was imposed on labour export on May 31,2023, Bangladeshi workers got jobs in all sectors in Malaysia, including plantations, agriculture, manufacturing, services, mining, construction and household services.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh exported a total of 508,978 workers during January-June period of 2024 as compared to 617, 576 workers during January-June period of 2023, showing 18 per cent drop in manpower export. However, manpower export dropped 55 per cent in June compared to the figure of May this year, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET). This decline was attributed to the ban of  labour exports to both Malaysia and Oman.

Mohammed Abul Basher, president of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) and also Chairman of Sarkar Recruiting Agency Ltd, stated that the reduction in demand has adversely affected the operations of recruiting agencies.

M Abdul Hi, director (immigration) of BMET, said "We have exported a significant portion of the annual demand for manpower in several countries, including Saudi Arabia and Malaysia."

Ali Haider Chowdhury,  secretary general of BAIRA, believes that the export of manpower witnessed a decrease last month as Malaysia filled most of its quotas for this year.

Most of the foreign workers in the Middle Eastern countries are employed as construction workers, cleaners and housemaids. These countries also employ semi-skilled workers like drivers, electricians, and plumbers.

 However, Bangladesh is still considered as the source of less-skilled workers in the global market. Bangladesh sent a record 1305,453 lakh workers abroad in 2023.......

Meanwhile, Bangladesh can export a record number of 10,000-20,000 workers to South Korea this or next year as the 10the largest economy of the world has decided to expand the number of recruitment by several times to  help companies and industries battling the crunch of blue workers, diplomats, policy-makers and manpower exporters said

Bangladesh exported a total of 1,425 workers to South Korea during January- June of the current calendar year and the last year the country exported a total of 4996 workers in 2023, according to Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).

South Korean Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon on June 28, 2023 said that South Korea will boost its annual quota of visas for skilled workers to more than 30,000 this year from just 2,000 a year ago, to help companies battling a staff crunch.

With younger South Koreans reluctant to take up blue-collar jobs, the industrial and farming sectors of Asia’s fourth-largest economy are struggling to fill vacancies.

 “As we are expanding the number by 30-fold at once … there will be no talk of foreigners unable to come due to insufficient quota,” the presidential office quoted Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon as telling  a government meeting. The comparison was to the figure of about 1,000 in 2020, the minister added.

The comparison was to the figure of about 1,000 in 2020, the minister added.

South Korea, which initially planned a cap of 5,000 for the E-7-4 visas this year, will also relax application criteria and let companies hire more foreigners, the ministry said, in response to industry...

“In addition to the 10,000 EPS workers, this year the South Korean government already is taking hundreds of skilled workers from Bangladesh, especially welders for our shipbuilding industry. The recent announcement came out in line with the increasing necessity of such skilled workers in Korea. Bangladesh will further benefit from the recently announced policy,” said former Korean Ambassador Lee Jang-keun while talking to this correspondent on Saturday morning.

Earlier, the South Korean government planned to receive 10,000 Bangladeshi expatriate workers this year, said  former South  Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun

As perks of workers in the South Korean market are lucrative compared to the Gulf countries, a former Bangladesh diplomat in Seoul while talking to this correspondent said that  grooming of Bangladeshi workers in South Korean language and culture is important to compete with workers of Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam  and Cambodia.

She said learning language and to be imbued with ROK culture is important as the South Korean entrepreneurs and industrialists desire that expat workers should have a sound hold on the matter.

Meanwhile, a BAIRA leader while talking to this correspondent said that proper policy support and guidance, strict government monitoring and successful and effective diplomacy can give a boost to the export of manpower.     

He also said the prospect of manpower export to developed countries will be increased in the coming days as the population growth in the rich countries has dropped leading to a crunch of workers.  

While talking to this correspondent, a high official of the BMET said the government of Bangladesh has set up a crash plan to train workers in different parts of the country to cater to the growing demands in the developed countries.    

 Meanwhile, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr. Hasan Mahmud has said a joint task force of Bangladesh and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will be formed aimed at protecting the Bangladeshi job seekers from fraud.

He disclosed this during a meeting with Bangladeshi expatriates at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh on Monday evening, a Foreign Ministry press release said in Dhaka recently.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Private Industry and Investment, Salman F. Rahman, attended the meeting as a special guest.

Earlier on the day, Dr Hasan and Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan led their respective delegations at the second round of political consultations between the Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia in Riyadh.

In his address at the expatriates gathering, Hasan said he had productive discussions with the Saudi Foreign Minister regarding the task force, which aims to enhance transparency in the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers to Saudi Arabia and prevent harassment by unscrupulous agents.

He highlighted the significant development achievements of Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He noted that the progress of Bangladesh, founded by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been globally praised, including by the Saudi government.

Hasan emphasized the substantial contributions of expatriates to the national economy.

He outlined several government initiatives for expatriates, including incentives for remittance transfers, online offshore banking management for foreign currency accounts, universal pension benefits, and loans through the Expatriate Welfare Bank.

He also addressed the concerns of expatriates and assured to resolve issues such as the hiring of more skilled Bangladeshi professionals in Saudi Arabia and easing the renewal of residence permits (iqama).

The foreign minister also pledged promoting cultural exchange between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, launching direct flights from Chittagong to Riyadh, offering wage earner bonds, providing expatriate health insurance, repatriating the bodies of deceased expatriates, legal assistance, passport renewal through the embassy, correcting NID card information, and renewing family visas

State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Chowdhury on Tuesday said Oman government has opened labour market in 12 categories, including physician, engineer, nurse and teacher, for Bangladeshi nationals.

"Oman government will legalize 96,000 illegal Bangladeshi workers. The country also mulls over waiving fines of illegal expatriate Bangladeshis," he said.

The minister said this while talking to journalists after Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Bangladesh Abdul Ghaffar Bin Abdul Karim Al-Bulushi paid a courtesy call on him at his office.

Shofiqur Rahman said discussion was held about dedicating a technical training center (TTC) for Oman for providing training to workers as per the demand of the country.

Though skilled manpower get visa from the country now, proposal will be placed at working committee for sending unskilled manpower as well, he said.

He said there is possibility of holding a joint working group meeting between the two countries soon.

On October 31 in 2023, Omani government imposed a temporary ban of visas for Bangladeshi nationals except for official purposes.