Dhaka: Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) has sent a record of 19,197 Bangladeshi workers abroad in the last fiscal 2025-26.
This is the highest number of workers sent abroad in a single year in the BOESL’s history. The number is 3,131 higher (19.5 percent) than that of the previous year.
BOESL officials said 16,066 workers got employment abroad through the company in fiscal 2024-25, while number increased to 19,197 in fiscal 2025-26.
In 2025-26, the highest number of 14,543 workers went to Jordan through BOESL, followed by 1,812 workers in Brunei, 1,404 in South Korea, 1,007 in Malaysia, 342 in Russia, 64 in Iraq, 11 in Japan, 4 in Hong Kong, 5 in Kuwait and 5 workers in Fiji.
Since the establishment of BOESL in 1984, a total of 195,438 Bangladeshi workers have been provided employment in 36 countries till June 30 this year.
BOESL is currently sending Bangladeshi workers to different countries including Jordan, South Korea, Iraq, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Brunei, Russia, Fiji, Japan and Malaysia. At the same time, workers are underway to expand labour markets around the world.
BOESL Managing Director (MD) Mohammad Rashedul Haque told BSS that the number of manpower sent abroad through BOESL has increased significantly in fiscal 2025-26 compared to fiscal 2024-25.
“One of the reasons behind this is the increased trust and confidence of foreign countries in BOESL as a government institution,” he said.
Rashedul said during the fascist regime for the past 17 years, the manpower export market was dominated by a single syndicate and mafia group.
As a result, he said, the opportunities for ordinary people interested in going abroad at low cost were declined.
“After the fall of the fascist regime, that opportunity has returned again. Besides, BOESL has succeeded in the markets where the syndicate failed.
In particular, in some labour markets that were closed due to the activities of the syndicate, BOESL’s initiative has created opportunities to reopen,’ the BOESL chief said.
He said BOESL exports manpower on the basis of developing relations with foreign countries through the government-to-government (G2G) system.
If the relationship of trust and confidence continues, BOESL will be able to serve as a strong platform for sending manpower abroad as per the BNP government’s election pledge and its five-year action plan, he said.
Asked about the government’s target of sending one million workers abroad, Rashedul said at the moment, it is not possible to say exactly how many workers will be able to go abroad through BOESL.
However, according to past statistics, only about 1.5 percent of the total workers have gone abroad from Bangladesh through BOESL, he said.
He said if the government wants to free the foreign labour market from the influence of syndicates through transparent policies and further increase the opportunity to send workers abroad at low cost, then there is no alternative to making BOESL functional.
This is a very important sector in earning foreign exchange by sending skilled manpower abroad, he said.
“Our main goal is to serve the people. The better we can serve the people, the more positive results we will get,” he said.
Rashedul said BOESL is trying to strengthen the existing labour markets and reopen the markets that were closed in the past.
“At the same time, work is being taken forward by identifying potential new labour markets. By dividing the markets into three categories – existing, closed and potential – an analysis is being made of what kind of opportunities are there, and plans are being made accordingly. Special emphasis is being given to creating new possibilities for exporting skilled manpower,” he said.
When asked, BOESL Executive Director Shawkat Ali told BSS that BOESL is working with the goal to send 40,000 workers in current fiscal.
According to BOESL, if this goal is met, BOESL can break the record of the last fiscal and set a unique record by exporting more than double the number of manpower.
BOESL General Manager (Overseas Employment) Noor Ahmed said 1,431 workers were sent to different countries through BOESL in July. “We are currently trying to expand labour markets beyond our existing ones.”
He said talks are underway to expand the labour market in Mongolia and a decision may be finalised soon.
