Migrants to pay more as wage earners' welfare fee rises to Tk5,500
The fee has been increased by Tk2,000 from the previous Tk3,500.
Bangladeshi migrant workers will have to pay Tk2,000 more in Wage Earners' Welfare Board fees from next month, further increasing the cost of overseas employment for workers already facing high migration expenses.
The government has raised the fee from Tk3,500 to Tk5,500, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment on 20 September.
The revised fee will come into effect on 1 October 2026.
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The increase comes as Gulf-bound Bangladeshi workers typically pay between Tk4 lakh and Tk10 lakh to secure overseas jobs, according to sector insiders.
The ministry said the fee was revised to expand welfare services for expatriate workers and ensure the sustainability of welfare programmes amid rising operational costs and changes in the global economic situation.
The circular, issued with the approval of the competent authority, was signed by Saifuzzaman, senior assistant secretary of the ministry's Welfare-1 section.
The Wage Earners' Welfare Board provides various services to Bangladeshi migrant workers and their families, including welfare assistance and support in times of need.
