The government move to boost inward remittance through sending skilled manpower has made little progress as the number of accomplished Bangladeshi workers finding jobs abroad has even declined over a decade.
The country sent a record 1.1 million people abroad in 2022, of which only 22.22 per cent were skilled migrants.
The skilled manpower was 23.20 per cent of the total overseas employment in 2010, according to the Economic Review 2023, published by the finance ministry.
The low-skilled migrant workers increased from 71.59 per cent in 2010 to 74 per cent in 2022, showcasing the poor development in the sector in the last 13 years, said experts.
However, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) data show that the number of skilled manpower increased to a record 43.55 per cent in 2019 - soon afterwards, the number started declining terribly and reached a record low of 22.22 per cent in 2022.
Meanwhile, in the financial year of 2021-22 (FY '22), the remittance inflow of the country dropped to US$21.03 billion from $24.78 billion the previous year, according to the central bank.
The central bank data also showed that the United States (USA) has topped the rank considering the source of inward remittance in the outgoing financial year (July-Feb of FY '23) surpassing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Bangladeshi manpower in the USA contributed 17.8 per cent of the remittance while KSA contributed 17.7 per cent during the period.
The UK has become the third source for remittance in the year with 8.9 per cent - earlier, the place was fixed for Kuwait, said Bangladesh Bank.
Shakirul Islam, chairman of the Obhibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme (OKUP), said the countries that received skilled and semi-skilled manpower are now contributing to the remittance.
Out of the 1.1 million people, only 0.29 million are skilled or semi skilled workers while only 3,640 professionals could go abroad in 2022, he said.
As much as the government has talked about sending skilled manpower abroad, no progress has been made in the last thirteen years, he pointed out.
"Bangladesh is still lagging behind in sending skilled manpower abroad, though it is very crucial for the country to increase quality migration, boost remittance inflow and reduce workplace exploitations."
Mr Islam said the total expenditure of the government agencies involved in providing training should be reviewed.
To him, there is hardly any internationally-accredited training centre in Bangladesh.
According to the government statistics, 80,000 aspirants are trained up annually by the government-run technical training centres. Currently, BMET runs 95 technical training centres (TTCs) in the country. The government has announced that it would give priority to send skilled workers to enhance quality migration and remittance income.
Asked, BMET Training Director Engr. Md Salah Uddin said, "We don't have any such database yet on how many workers are going abroad with training from TTCs." "But we have taken the initiative to make such a databank."
The TTCs have been instructed by the BMET to contact the recruiting agencies in their respective areas in a bid to bring the workers to the training institutes, he added.
Bangladesh also signed a deal with Takamol for Skills Verification Programme (SVP) in February this year to send skilled workers to Saudi Arabia.
They have started the programme at four TTCs, while five others will be brought under the programme soon.
Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) Chairman Tasneem Siddiqui said the private recruiting agencies are eager for only unskilled workers and they manage visas for them.
The private recruiters should also be skilled to source jobs for skilled manpower, she pointed out.
She also said the capacity of the state-run Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd (BOESL) should be increased significantly so that they could source suitable jobs across the globe for the trained Bangladeshi people.
The organisation seems to be stuck mainly in South Korea and Jordan, she observed, adding that it should be expanded so that it can source jobs in suitable countries for the local skilled population.
Ali Haider Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), said that the government needs a specific plan to send skilled workers.
He suggested creating country wise demand-based skilled workers, and market promotion. "We need to fix the yearly target of how many skilled workers will be sent from Bangladesh."
Asked why they don't send workers trained by TTCs, Mr Chowdhury said the manpower that the TTCs create is not the right fit for the international labour market.
He also refuted the blame on recruitment agencies for giving priority to sending low-skilled workers.
If recruiters get available skilled workers, they will be happy to send them, he added.
According to Bangladesh Bank data, Bangladeshis sent home $21 billion in 2022 which was US$ 24 billion in 2021.
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