Dhaka: Over the past 22 years, more than 1.14 crore (11.4 million) Bangladeshi workers have been sent to 12 Middle Eastern countries, as revealed by Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury in Parliament on Monday. This information was presented by State Minister Md Nurul Hoque, on behalf of the minister, in response to a starred question from ruling party lawmaker Md Mosharraf Hossain (Bogura-4) during the parliamentary question-and-answer session.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the statistics showed that from 2004 to April 8, 2026, a total of 1,14,07,661 workers were deployed to Middle Eastern countries. Saudi Arabia received the highest number of workers at 53,33,223, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 21,92,956, and Oman with 16,52,489. Other significant recipients included Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, with numbers reaching 10,05,936, 4,01,942, and 3,09,233, respectively.
In a separate response to treasury bench member Nasir Uddin Ahmed (Maulvibazar-1), the minister noted that over 1.30 crore Bangladeshis are currently employed in 176 countries worldwide. The government is committed to ensuring the dignity, rights, and welfare of Bangladeshi expatriates, he emphasized.
The minister also addressed concerns over the shifting dynamics in the Middle East labor market. He indicated that several countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, have been identified as alternative labor markets. This strategic move is part of the government’s 180-day action plan to explore new labor markets and reopen closed ones.
Efforts are underway to send Bangladeshi workers to countries including Cambodia, Seychelles, and Serbia, among others. Diplomatic efforts are also focused on reopening labor markets in Malaysia, Oman, the UAE, and Bahrain. Bangladesh has signed MoUs or agreements with 18 countries to facilitate overseas employment and is exploring further agreements with four more countries under the action plan.
Minister Ariful Haque expressed optimism about reopening the Malaysian labor market, given its status as the second-largest market after Saudi Arabia. Diplomatic efforts are also being made to extend visas for Bangladeshi workers in conflict-affected Middle Eastern countries.
To support skill development, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) operates 104 Technical Training Centres and six Institutes of Marine Technology, offering training in 55 trades. Additionally, initiatives are in place to recruit native language instructors to help workers overcome language barriers abroad.
In response to a question from NCP lawmaker Abdul Hannan Masud (Noakhali-6), the Minister reported that 11,32,519 workers, including 62,352 women, went abroad for employment in 2025.