The government has set a target to send 1.2 million workers abroad this year, focusing on skilled migration, said expatriates' welfare and overseas employment minister Nurul Islam on Wednesday.
The ministry has drawn up a plan to reduce the number of low-skilled workers gradually.
The fresh goal came after Bangladesh sent a record 1.0 million workers abroad last, the highest overseas employment in the country's history.
The minister unveiled the target while speaking at a press conference on overall migration 2017 at the ministry's conference room.
"We will put emphasis on quality than the number of outbound workers," he said adding that they would sign deals with Japan, Mauritius and Russia shortly to send workers there.
Nomita Halder, secretary in charge, Aminul Islam, additional secretary of the ministry among others was present at the press meet.
The government has taken up different projects to create skilled manpower from 42 lagging districts in international migration to help achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), said the minister in his written speech.
About 0.81 million trainees completed different courses under 70 technical training centres in 2017. The capacity of training centres increased nearly 17 times compared with 2009, he added.
He said they would decentralise services for overseas job seekers with a plan to enlist returning workers under a union-level database.
Replying to a question, Mr Islam said the ministry formed a search committee to investigate into how the dead body of Lovely Begum came in the Ismile's coffin.
This needs to be identified that from where the mistake took place, he added.
The minister came up with his remarks over recent media report regarding changing dead body of a migrant worker in the coffin.
Currently, Bangladeshis are working in 165 countries, according to officials.
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