Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury on Sunday informed the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) that a total of 1,132,519 Bangladeshi workers, including 62,352 women, secured overseas employment in 2025.
The minister disclosed the figures while responding to a written question from Nilphamari-2 lawmaker Al Faruq Abdul Latif during the eighth sitting of the first session of the 13th JS. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed presided over the session.
Ariful Haque Chowdhury said overseas employment remains a continuous process and a key priority for the government, which has incorporated multiple initiatives in its election manifesto to expand foreign job markets and increase manpower export. A 180-day action plan has already been formulated to implement these commitments.
The minister noted that diplomatic efforts are ongoing to reopen or expand labour markets, including Malaysia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, which have recently become restricted for Bangladeshi workers.
At the same time, Bangladesh continues to send workers to major destinations, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Romania, Seychelles, Portugal, and Russia.
According to the minister, Bangladesh has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) or agreements with 18 countries to facilitate overseas employment. Under a separate MoU between the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) and the International Manpower Development Organization Japan, workers are being sent to the country as technical interns without migration costs.
Highlighting a major new initiative, he said a dedicated 'Japan Cell' has been established within the ministry to implement a bilateral agreement - aimed at sending 100,000 Bangladeshi workers to Japan over the next five years.
Special focus is given on Japanese language training to prepare the workers for employment in Japan and increase their placement rates.
The government is also taking steps to retrain and upskill the returnee migrant workers in line with the international labour market demands, enabling them to re-enter overseas employment. Recognition of prior learning and certification is also being introduced, creating new opportunities for skilled migration.
The minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to strengthening overseas employment channels and ensuring that Bangladeshi workers continue to access global labour markets in a safe, structured, and sustainable manner.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com
