Bangladesh is facing a deep and complex crisis in overseas employment due to entrenched broker syndicates, document forgery and systemic weaknesses, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has said, calling for a broker- and fraud-free system to send workers abroad.
Speaking on Wednesday at a programme in Dhaka marking International Migrants Day and National Expatriates Day, Prof Yunus said overseas migration had become “dangerously intertwined” with brokers and fraud, undermining genuine progress in the sector.
“Until we are free from this, there is no reason to believe that meaningful progress has been made,” he said.
The event was held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium on 18 December, a day observed annually to recognise the contribution of migrant workers to Bangladesh’s economy.
Deep-rooted migration challenges
Prof Yunus acknowledged that the government had taken several initiatives to address long-standing problems in overseas employment but said the outcomes had fallen short of expectations.
“Despite sincere efforts by the government, the scale of results we should have achieved has not been reached,” he said.
He added that while many initiatives appeared impressive on the surface, authorities had so far failed to dismantle the core broker-dominated system controlling migration.
Recalling his experience with Grameen Bank, Prof Yunus said he first became aware of the scale of broker syndicates when rural women began seeking loans to send their children abroad.
“The entire world of migration is broker-controlled,” he said. “It is almost impossible to know who paid whom and for what reason. The government remains far away from this system.”
He said this situation must change at any cost if Bangladesh is to increase remittance earnings and move the country forward.
Damage to Bangladesh’s global image
The Chief Adviser said document forgery in overseas employment had tarnished Bangladesh’s reputation internationally.
Referring to visa restrictions imposed by several Middle Eastern countries, he said Bangladesh had become widely associated with fake documents.
“This is a tragic reality,” he said, citing cases where Bangladeshi seafarers were even barred from disembarking at foreign ports due to mistrust of their documents.
However, he noted that the seafarers’ issue had been resolved through government efforts and that some countries were gradually reopening their labour markets to Bangladesh.
Missed global opportunities
Prof Yunus said Bangladesh was missing enormous global opportunities despite strong international demand for workers.
He highlighted Japan as a major potential destination, saying the country could absorb hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi workers.
Recalling his visit to Japan earlier this year, he said Japanese authorities immediately agreed to accept 100,000 Bangladeshi workers over the next five years.
“If we want to send 500,000 people today, they would accept them,” he said, adding that Japan primarily required language proficiency and vocational skills.
“Imagine what would happen to someone who spends five years in Japan. Their destiny would completely change,” he said.
‘Gold mine of youth’
Rejecting the idea that Bangladeshi workers lacked skills, Prof Yunus cited success stories of expatriates in Italy, the UK and elsewhere.
“Bangladeshi chefs are among the best,” he said, adding that their skills often came from resilience and experience rather than formal training.
“Our people learn languages quickly—Italian, Russian, English. There is no shortage of talent,” he said.
Describing Bangladesh as a “gold mine of youth”, Prof Yunus said nearly 90 million people in the country were under the age of 27.
“The world is desperately searching for young people,” he said. “They should come to Bangladesh to hire them. Our youth are more valuable than oil or rare minerals.”
He stressed the need to prepare young people to meet global labour demands, saying migration benefited both individuals and the country.
“When a person goes abroad, they take the country with them—they do not leave it behind,” he said.
He added that the main challenge was not a lack of money but weak systems, discipline and governance.
“If we fail to use this gold mine, our destiny will never change,” he said.
Honouring expatriates
At the event, 86 Bangladeshi expatriates were honoured as commercially important persons (CIPs) in three categories: direct investment in Bangladesh’s industries, remittance sent through legal channels and promotion of Bangladeshi products abroad.
Among them, Kallal Ahmed, Md Abdul Karim and Md Mahmudur Rahman Khan received crests from the Chief Adviser.
Prof Yunus also distributed cheques for insurance benefits, medical assistance, financial aid, compensation and scholarships for the children of expatriate workers.
Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Professor Asif Nazrul attended the event as a special guest, while Senior Secretary Dr Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan delivered the welcome address. Prof Asif Nazrul later handed over a task force report on reforms and strategic realignment of the ministry to the Chief Adviser.
The programme also featured personal accounts from expatriates and a documentary highlighting the role of Bangladeshi migrants in boosting the economy and supporting recent political movements, alongside government efforts to ensure their welfare.
