The government has set a target of creating overseas employment opportunities for one crore Bangladeshis over the next five years through labour market diversification, large-scale skills development, lower migration costs, digitalisation of migration services, and expanded welfare programmes for expatriate workers. This roadmap was unveiled by State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Nurul Haque in an exclusive interview.
Strategic Roadmap and Key Priorities
The state minister highlighted that the ministry has already collected demand forecasts from Bangladeshi missions abroad and identified requirements for nearly 1.15 crore foreign workers, providing a strong foundation for achieving the target. The government's migration reform strategy rests on four key priorities: simplifying migration procedures, reducing migration costs, developing skilled manpower, and strengthening expatriate welfare.
Skill Development and Modernisation
Recognising rapidly changing global labour market demands, the ministry is modernising all 110 Technical Training Centres (TTCs) across the country to produce internationally competitive workers. Bangladesh is also building a digital database of trained workers, enabling overseas employers to recruit candidates directly according to their occupational requirements.
Expanding Labour Markets and Reducing Dependence
To reduce heavy dependence on the Middle East, the government is expanding labour markets in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, where demand for skilled workers is expected to grow. Training programmes are now being aligned with country-specific labour requirements.
Welfare Initiatives and Digital Services
Alongside labour market expansion, the government is introducing several welfare initiatives, including a digital 'Probashi Card' with personal information, banking facilities, and QR code-based verification. The ministry is also digitising overseas employment services so that migration clearance and document submission can be completed online.
Future Prospects and Ongoing Negotiations
The state minister expressed optimism over reopening Malaysia's labour market and mentioned ongoing negotiations with various countries to expand labour agreements. He also noted that Bangladesh's agreement to send 100,000 workers to Japan remains on track, although recruitment is progressing gradually.
