Bangladesh’s Foreign Employment Sector Faces Its Worst Crisis Yet

Bangladesh’s foreign employment sector, which contributes billions in remittances annually and sustains millions of families, is now grappling with its most serious crisis in decades. Once regarded as a stable engine of economic growth, the overseas labour market is rapidly contracting for Bangladeshi workers, driven by syndicate dominance, weak policy implementation, bureaucratic red tape and increasing pressure from foreign interest groups.

Recent years have seen Bangladesh gradually lose access to several key job markets. Malaysia, Oman, Bahrain, Libya and the Maldives have significantly reduced or suspended recruitment from Bangladesh. Migration specialists warn that unless fresh labour markets are developed and structural bottlenecks addressed urgently, the repercussions could be catastrophic.

A major cause of the crisis is policy imbalance. Instead of empowering thousands of legitimate recruiting agencies, the government has given sweeping authority to BOESL, a relatively small state-run entity. Stakeholders argue that this centralisation has drastically slowed down the recruitment process, shrinking monthly worker outflows to a fraction of previous levels.

The situation has been aggravated by the rise of dominant syndicates that control access to certain markets. Under the pretext of foreign consultation, a select group of agencies monopolise recruitment channels, distorting competition and escalating irregularities. Whenever syndicate disputes intensify, labour markets stall, leaving workers stranded.

Statistical evidence highlights the depth of the crisis. Of South Korea’s quota of 10,300 workers under the EPS system, Bangladesh sent only 1,500—while Nepal nearly met its full allocation. The Malaysian market has remained paralysed due to long-standing syndicate conflicts. Meanwhile, Gulf and Middle Eastern nations—including Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE—are steadily reducing their intake.

Although Saudi Arabia accepted more than 670,000 Bangladeshi workers last year, nearly 200 recruiting agencies could not renew their licences. As a consequence, thousands of visa-holding workers are unable to travel. Many who have taken hefty loans or sold assets to finance migration now risk losing everything as their visas inch towards expiry.

Diplomatic sources reveal that over the last 12 years, labour markets in Oman, Bahrain, Libya, Sudan, Egypt, Romania, Brunei and the Maldives have virtually closed to Bangladeshi workers. The UAE’s expected 2026 visa restrictions on nine countries, Bangladesh included, further heightens concern. Of the more than one million Bangladeshis who migrated in 2024, 95 per cent went to only five destinations—clear evidence of shrinking diversity.

Female workers have been disproportionately affected. Since 2016, female migration has dropped by 66 per cent owing to policy flaws, syndicate barriers and insufficient training.

Bangladesh continues to struggle with EPS quotas due to persistent inefficiencies, limited worker skills, syndicate interference and bureaucratic disorder. The closure of one-stop migration services has added additional layers of complexity, allowing agencies to impose inflated service charges. Tougher exit-clearance rules for Saudi-bound migrants have also reduced overall deployment.

Bangladesh’s embassies have faced criticism for failing to secure new labour markets or provide efficient services. Migrants frequently report harassment, especially during passport renewals or basic documentation processes.

Migration researcher Mohammad Mohiuddin identifies long-standing irregularities, foreign influence networks, deceptive NGOs and administrative corruption as major drivers of the current crisis. He argues that equating legitimate migration with human trafficking has fuelled a dangerous trend of monetising complaints.

Dr Tasneem Siddiqui of RMMRU cautions that Bangladesh is overly dependent on a narrow cluster of 10–11 labour markets. Any disruption in a single market could immediately cut worker deployment by half. Without diversifying into new regions, Bangladesh will continue to lose global competitiveness.

Migration expert Asif Munir points out that local brokers, desperate families, unethical recruitment practices and syndicates across destination countries collectively shrink the market each year. Unless these entrenched networks are dismantled, migration costs will remain inflated and workers vulnerable.

Dhaka University academic Dr Syeda Rozana Rashid stresses the urgent need for skill enhancement. Without improving worker capabilities, she argues, exploitation will worsen and sustainable migration will remain unattainable.

Former BAIRA leader Fakhrul Islam warns that the continuation of syndicate influence will inevitably trigger a devastating collapse in worker deployment.

Bangladesh is now at a decisive turning point. Breaking syndicate control, building a skills-oriented workforce, expanding into new labour markets and reforming administrative processes are essential steps. Failure to act decisively could inflict long-term damage on the nation’s foreign employment sector and its vital remittance income.