Ten months have passed since the interim government took office. Despite discussions that the global image of Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus would help resolve various labor market issues, no significant changes have been seen yet. The labor market in the United Arab Emirates, which had been suspended following the July protests, has not reopened. And even though seven months have passed since the Malaysian Prime Minister’s visit to Dhaka in October last year—where promises were made—many workers who could not leave on time are still unable to go.
According to data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) and “Ami Probashi,” a digital platform for migration-related services, a total of 429,345 migrant workers left Bangladesh for overseas employment between January and April 2023. The number slightly dropped to 321,652 in 2024. So far this year, it has decreased further to 315,321.
An analysis of BMET data shows that before labor markets began closing, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Malaysia, Singapore, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain were the top destinations for Bangladeshi workers. But now, the labor market is heavily focused on Saudi Arabia. Between January and April this year, 73 percent of outbound workers from Bangladesh went to Saudi Arabia.
Shaheen Talukder from Barguna has been waiting 10 months for a visa to the UAE. He said, “It’s been 10 months since I submitted my passport for a Dubai visa. But since the country restricted its visa operations last July, I still haven’t received it.”
The UAE is the second-largest labor market in the Middle East for Bangladeshis. Although it has not officially closed its labor market, the country suspended visa issuance following a protest by some migrant workers in support of the July movement. Around the same time, the Maldives also stopped issuing visas to Bangladeshi workers.
Several countries have shut down their labor markets to Bangladesh due to syndicate-based recruitment, fraud, and human trafficking. According to data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), Bangladesh has lost access to labor markets in Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Malaysia, Egypt, Romania, Brunei, and the Maldives over the past 12 years. In 2021, Malaysia reopened its labor market under a second Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), but only through a syndicate. Although workers were sent under this syndicate, the labor market closed again in May 2024.
Last month, Dr. Asif Nazrul, Adviser to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, visited Malaysia. During the visit, Bangladeshi officials received assurances that the country would prioritize Bangladesh in its future recruitment plans. However, even after the third Joint Working Group meeting was held in Dhaka between Bangladesh and Malaysia—focused on ensuring safe migration and employment—there has been no significant progress in reopening the market.
Dulal Shikder, who has spent BDT 500,000 over the past year to go to Malaysia, still has not been able to leave. He told Bonik Barta, “I couldn’t go to Malaysia on time. Even after my visa was issued, the broker didn’t send me. I was hoping this government would send us quickly. But all I’ve received are promises. I heard they’ll send us in phases, but how long are we supposed to wait like this?”
Professor Dr. Tasneem Siddiqui, Executive Director of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), said there needs to be a fresh discussion with experts to develop a new approach for reopening closed labor markets. She told Bonik Barta, “There are efforts to reopen the markets, but they haven’t been successful yet. Japan has said it will take 100,000 workers if we can provide language training. That’s a major opportunity. But alongside opening markets, we’re also lacking in workforce preparation. The three-month training offered by our centers doesn’t meet international standards.”
On the issue of Malaysia’s labor market, the migration expert said, “The failure to reopen the Malaysian labor market isn’t the fault of the current ministry. The market could reopen tomorrow if the ministry agrees to send workers under the old system. But that would only benefit the same syndicates again—and nobody wants that. We must find a way to move past the syndicate issue if we want a sustainable solution for Malaysia’s labor market.”
Fakhrul Islam, a leader of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), said there has been no major improvement in the labor market as expected. He told Bonik Barta, “The Middle East remains the biggest market for Bangladesh. But most of the key markets there are now closed. The UAE, Bahrain, Oman—diplomatic efforts must be intensified to reopen these. And we must also ensure that no new syndicates are formed. Malaysia is one of our major labor markets. But even after a year, it still hasn’t reopened.”