Dhaka:The Standing Committee on the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad held its first meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, chaired by A K M Fazlul Haque Milon.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the meeting was attended by committee members Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury, State Minister Md Nurul Haque, Golam Mohammad Siraj, Md Jasim Uddin, Rafiqul Islam Hilali, Nasir Uddin Ahmed, Md Anwarul Islam, and Abul Kawsar Mohammad Nazrul Islam. They discussed the ministry's scope of work and budget allocation.
The committee urged ministry officials to work diligently to prevent irregularities, corruption, or deviations in their activities. They also stressed the importance of ensuring expatriate workers are not subjected to negligence or harassment upon arrival at airports.
The meeting highlighted that 432,786 workers, including 36,590 female workers, were sent abroad in 2026 from February 18 to September 30. During the same period, remittance inflows reached US$24.75 billion, marking an increase of approximately US$2.80 billion compared to the previous period.
Additionally, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, 186 individuals, including 12 women and eight children, were repatriated from Iran with the support of the Wage Earners' Welfare Board. The meeting also noted that private recruiting agents and BOESL facilitate overseas employment, with 2,187 out of 2,860 recruiting agencies currently operational.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, heads of various departments under the ministry, and officials from the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat.