MD ABBAS

Labour migration from Bangladesh to several major overseas destinations, including Malaysia and the UAE, has remained stalled for years, leaving tens of thousands of aspiring migrant workers in uncertainty.

Apart from Malaysia and the UAE, Oman and Bahrain either shut or restricted Bangladeshi workers’ entry to their labour markets, with no clear timeline for reopening. This has left Bangladesh heavily reliant on a single destination -- Saudi Arabia -- which, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), has absorbed around 30 lakh Bangladeshi workers into its labour market over the last five years.

Experts warn that the situation could worsen, as rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly the US-Israel war on Iran, threaten regional stability and economic activity. Any escalation could disrupt labour demand in Gulf countries, further shrinking employment opportunities for Bangladeshi migrants.

BMET data shows that 11.31 lakh Bangladeshis went abroad for work last year. Of them, 754,671 or 66.72 percent Upon

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