Short Term International Migrant (STIM) households fared much better both in terms of savings and investment compared to internal and non-migrants, said an RMMRU study.
The report showed that 34.07 per cent of international migrant households have savings accounts, whereas levels are at 21.49 among internal migrants (IMs) and 19.11 among non-migrant households.
Some 22 per cent of international, 15 per cent of internal and 15 per cent of non-migrants subscribed to Deposit Pension Schemes (DPS).
A preliminary study titled 'Impact of Migration on Poverty and Local Development' was carried out among 5,084 households from 17 districts of Bangladesh, representing all 7 divisions.
The study was conducted by Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) and mandated by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Among STIMs, 98 per cent and 93 per cent of the other two categories owned homestead land. Some 43 per cent of the STIM possessed agricultural land, whereas around 26 per cent of IM and 27 per cent of non-migrants owned such land.
The report also showed that only 21 per cent of female STIM households owned agricultural land, compared to 55 per cent of their male counterparts.
Around 5.0 per cent of STIM and non-migrants had invested in shops, whereas only 2.9 per cent of internal migrants have invested in this avenue, the study revealed.
About 10 per cent of STIMs and IMs invested in transportation, however, the majority of internal migrants invested in rickshaw vans, whereas international migrants have made investments in micro buses, motorcycles, etc.
All three groups invested very little in mills and factories, it also revealed.
However, compared to internal and non-migrants, international migrant households contribute to agricultural development more by using improved seeds, adequate fertiliser, regular irrigation and insecticides.
The amount of investment in agricultural equipment made by STIM was double the level of IMs, and 13 per cent more than non-migrants.
These included irrigation pumps, power tillers, tractors, paddy-separators, and potable rice processing machines. Women migrants (both internal and international) invested less than male migrants in agriculture development.
In poultry sector IM households invested more (14.9 per cent) than STIM (10 per cent). And 8.0 per cent of non-migrants invested in this area.
International migrants created employment for non-migrants of the sending areas providing a section of their land for shared cropping. To manage poultry farms, livestock, and small-scale enterprises they also hired workers from non-migrant families.
Besides, compared to non-migrants and IMs, STIMs contributed more to the development of local markets through their larger spending capacity. STIM households annually spent 31 per cent more in food and other expenditures in comparison to IMs, and 24 per cent more than non-migrants.
RMMRU founding chair Tasneem Siddiqui said Bangladeshi expatriates are contributing to overall development of the country with their direct and indirect investment.
But they are yet to go for big investment properly because of inadequate supports from government including absence of easy loan to them. So they are still depending on their own earnings to develop their venture.
She, however, emphasised the need for bringing them under different large projects such as Padma Bridge for investing.
Most of the expatriates are unable to invest in government bonds as those products are unavailable abroad.
"If the workers get proper facilities, utilisation of remittances will increase," Ms Siddiqui added.
She, however, said investing in education, health, infrastructure development community welfare work like establishing school, madrasa, mosque and temple will have to be considered vital investments.
Through such activities they are contributing to human resource development.
More than 9.0 million Bangladeshis went abroad with jobs during 1976 to 2015 period.
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STIM households fare better in savings, investment: Study
FE Report | Published: April 25, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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