ME unrest threatens Bangladesh’s overseas jobs and remittance lifeline

By Raisa Raad Khan
The renewed conflict in the Middle East (ME), following a short period of relative calm, has triggered fresh concerns over Bangladesh’s overseas employment sector, with economists and labour market experts warning that prolonged instability could significantly reduce manpower exports, weaken remittance inflows and intensify pressure on the country’s domestic labour market.
Home to an estimated seven million Bangladeshi migrant workers, the Middle East remains Bangladesh’s largest overseas employment destination and the principal source of foreign exchange earnings through remittances. Any sustained disruption in the region, analysts say, could have far reaching consequences for the country’s economy.
According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), more than 80 per cent of Bangladesh’s overseas workers in 2025 migrated to Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. These countries also accounted for around 60 per cent of the country’s record US$32 billion remittance inflow during the year.
Recent migration data already points to a slowdown.
BMET figures show that emigration clearance declined sharply during the first quarter of the year, falling from 95,095 workers in January to 65,634 in February before dropping further to 44,661 in March, reflecting growing uncertainty among both employers and prospective migrant workers.
Between 1 January and 5 June, a total of 314,362 Bangladeshis left the country for overseas employment. Of them, 190,072 travelled to Saudi Arabia, 23,780 to Qatar, 8,753 to Kuwait, 7,353 to Jordan, 7,121 to the United Arab Emirates and 3,091 to Iraq.
Saudi Arabia remained by far the largest destination, receiving approximately 752,000 Bangladeshi workers throughout 2025, followed by Qatar with 169,000 and Kuwait with 42,496.
Recruitment agencies say many workers who have already completed migration formalities are postponing their departure because of security concerns, while employers have become increasingly cautious about issuing new visas amid economic uncertainty caused by the conflict.
Former Secretary General of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) Ali Haider Chowdhury said the uncertainty had begun affecting migration even after workers obtained official clearance.
“Many workers who have already received clearance are reluctant to travel because of security concerns,” he told this correspondent.
“Employers are naturally hesitant to issue visas amid the business slowdown,” he added.
Ali Haider warned that if overseas recruitment continues to decline, Bangladesh could face a significant reduction in remittance earnings, one of the country’s most important sources of foreign exchange.
Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Fahmida Khatun said a prolonged decline in overseas employment would compound Bangladesh’s existing economic challenges.
“If overseas employment declines due to a prolonged conflict, it will further aggravate economic challenges,” she said. “Migrant families would suffer from reduced income and job losses.”
She noted that more than two million young people enter Bangladesh’s labour market every year, while around one million seek jobs abroad. By comparison, only around 100,000 people secure formal employment within the country annually.
“With private investment already low, a decline in overseas jobs would create a double burden for the employment sector,” Fahmida observed.
She also emphasised the need for stronger diplomatic engagement with Gulf countries to safeguard Bangladeshi workers and ensure support mechanisms during emergencies.
Another former BAIRA Secretary General, Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, said overseas recruitment in several Middle Eastern countries had already slowed because of continuing regional conflicts.
“For a long time, worker recruitment in around 10 to 12 Middle Eastern countries has declined because of the war,” he said.
“There is very little Bangladesh can do if the recruiting countries themselves are facing economic and security difficulties. Until the situation returns to normal, we will have to wait.”
However, Noman described the latest crisis as a timely reminder that Bangladesh must diversify its overseas labour markets instead of relying overwhelmingly on the Gulf region.
“We should not rely only on the Middle East. There are opportunities in Europe and the Far East. The government must actively work to develop these new markets,” he said.
He identified inadequate diplomatic representation and lengthy visa processing as major obstacles preventing Bangladesh from expanding into new destinations.
“In many European countries, Bangladesh does not have adequate consular services. Employers are often unwilling to wait through lengthy visa processing, causing Bangladesh to lose labour market opportunities,” he said.
Noman urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen diplomatic missions, simplify visa procedures and introduce more online processing systems to facilitate overseas recruitment.
He also stressed the importance of equipping workers with market oriented skills, language proficiency and cultural orientation before sending them to emerging labour markets.
While welcoming the government’s commitment to overseas employment, as reflected in its election manifesto, he said longstanding problems including high migration costs, expensive airfares, delays in visa processing and slow government to government recruitment procedures must be resolved to maintain Bangladesh’s competitiveness.
Labour market experts said protecting Bangladeshi migrants currently working in the Middle East should remain the government’s immediate priority. At the same time, they argued that Bangladesh must accelerate efforts to diversify overseas labour markets, improve workforce skills and remove administrative bottlenecks to reduce its dependence on a single region and build greater resilience in the country’s remittance driven economy.