Manpower export drops 36% in February amid embassy attestation rule for Saudi visas
Recruitment in Saudi declines by over 42% in Feb from Jan, hurting the overall labor migration, insiders say
Bangladesh's labour export fell by over 36% in February compared to the previous month, with a year-on-year decline of around 16%, according to data from the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET).
According to sector insiders, overseas employment declined as recruitment in Saudi Arabia, the top destination for Bangladeshi workers, dropped by more than 42% in February from January due to the mandatory attestation from the Bangladesh embassy for single visa holders, which has been strictly enforced since late January.
The decline highlights Bangladesh's over-reliance on Saudi Arabia, as opportunities in other destinations are diminishing, labor recruiters said, warning a bleak outlook if Bangladesh fails to reopen labour markets in Oman, the UAE, Malaysia, and Bahrain.
According to BMET data, Bangladesh sent 62,436 workers abroad in February, while the figure was 97,862 in January. Saudi Arabia recruited the highest number of these workers, with 44,258 in February, down from 76,618 in January.
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In contrast, 44,083 Bangladeshi workers went abroad in February 2024.
"The mandatory attestation in Riyadh's Bangladesh embassy for single-visa holders has slowed the process recently, which is one of the reasons behind the decline in Saudi-bound workers," Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former secretary-general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) told TBS.
"The attestment is totally unnecessary. They [Bangladesh embassy] do not take any responsibility if a worker faces any issues at the destination. All issues must be borne by the agencies," he added.
Baira members staged a protest at BMET on Wednesday (5 March), demanding, among other things, the removal of embassy attestation and the option for manual submission of immigration card applications.
Later, they met with the BMET director general, where it was decided that BMET clearance for single visas to Saudi Arabia issued up to 28 February would proceed without requiring attestation from the embassy, as before.
Former Baira joint secretary general Fakhrul Islam told TBS, "Embassy attestation for single visas was relaxed until 22 January due to our demands but has been mandatory since then, leading to a decline in Saudi-bound workers."
Following renewed protests, the attestation rule has been relaxed for demand letters issued until 28 February, he said, adding that no instructions had been given for subsequent demand letters.
In the meeting with BMET DG, it was also decided that applications for BMET clearance can be submitted both online and offline, and a help desk will be set up to provide information on the process.
The clearance card is the last document a migrant worker needs from the Bangladesh government to leave the country.
Visas for Bangladeshi workers to Saudi Arabia are issued in two categories: single visas and group visas. Group visa holders, defined as more than 25 workers going to the same company, require embassy attestation.
Although this attestation requirement had been relaxed for single-visa holders in recent years, the BMET recently began enforcing it again after reports that many workers were arriving in Saudi Arabia without securing jobs or valid work permits (Iqama).
The attestation process verifies the authenticity of job offers, preventing potential exploitation.
Top destinations for Bangladeshi workers
After Saudi Arabia, the top destinations last month were Qatar (7,150), Singapore (3,735), Kuwait (2,084), and Jordan (873).
Some European countries have also hired workers from Bangladesh in the past month, but the flow remains limited despite the high demand for skilled workers. The leading European destinations were Portugal (340), Cyprus (116), Croatia (98), Serbia (84), Hungary (64), and Romania (46).
Meanwhile, Bangladesh received $2.53 billion in remittances in February, marking the fourth-highest monthly inflow in the country's history.
The February inflow was 25% higher than the same month last year, when $2.02 billion was recorded. The surge has been attributed to the month of Ramadan, a period when remittance inflows typically rise as expatriates send more money to support their families.
Migration experts believe remittance flow could be higher if Bangladesh was able to provide enough skilled workers to meet global demand. The remittance inflow is comparatively low despite having over 10 million workers abroad.
