State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md. Nurul Hoque, MP. Photo: BSS

By Mostak Ahmad

DHAKA, Aug 27, 2026 (BSS) - State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md. Nurul Hoque, MP, has said the government has taken various initiatives to open new labour markets, expand existing ones, send skilled workers abroad and establish the rights and dignity of expatriate Bangladeshis.

He made the remarks today in an interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) on the six-month activities and future plans of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

Mentioning that a large number of Bangladeshis are employed abroad, the state minister said the government has taken various initiatives to establish the rights and dignity of these expatriates, protect their assets and ensure their economic security, as well as to build a safe and orderly migration system.

He said initiatives have also been taken to open new labour markets, expand the existing markets, send skilled workers, increase the scope of services for expatriates through Bangladesh missions abroad and maintain strict vigilance to prevent fraud.

The state minister said many activities of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare, like those of other ministries, cannot be made visible within a very short period. He said opening new labour markets requires bilateral meetings with different countries, multiple follow-up meetings, memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and completion of related processes, which take time. 

As a result, although the benefits of many initiatives taken over the past six months are yet to become visible, their practical results will be seen in the coming days, he said.

“We have to complete various formalities, including bilateral meetings, follow-up meetings and MoUs, in the countries where we are working to open labour markets. It takes time. From that perspective, many activities may not have become visible in six months. But their benefits will be seen ahead,” he said.

Md. Nurul Hoque mentioned the reopening of Malaysia’s labour market as one of the government’s major achievements over the past six months.

Highlighting that Malaysia is one of Bangladesh’s major labour markets outside the Middle East as a single country, he said an official announcement on opening the country’s labour market came through the prime minister’s visit and workers from Bangladesh will start going there from the beginning of next month.

The state minister said the reopening of Malaysia’s labour market would create new opportunities for Bangladeshi jobseekers. 

There had been various complications in sending workers to Malaysia for a long time, he said, adding that a way to overcome those complications has been created through the government’s diplomatic efforts and high-level discussions.

Md. Nurul Hoque said an update on whether an expatriate has received a service after seeking it will also be stored in the digital system. As a result, if any application remains pending for a long time, it will be possible to identify it and take necessary action, he said.

He said new instructions have also been issued regarding the services provided by Bangladesh embassies abroad.

Mentioning that the government has equal responsibility towards every Bangladeshi citizen living abroad, he said regardless of their profession, income or social status, it must be ensured that they receive services when needed. 

The current government is placing special emphasis, alongside conventional diplomacy, on “cultural diplomacy” and “labour migration diplomacy”, he said.

The state minister said verification of demand letters or worker requisition documents has been made stricter to prevent fraud in sending workers abroad.

He said the concerned Bangladesh missions have been instructed to conduct on-the-spot inspections and submit reports on whether the companies seeking to recruit workers from Bangladesh actually exist, the working environment there and what kinds of opportunities are available for Bangladeshi workers.

The state minister said the government is taking a strict stance to ensure that no kind of fraud or syndicate in the name of labour markets causes harm to expatriate workers.

Md. Nurul Hoque said the government’s goal is to establish a safe, orderly and dignified migration system. 

Alongside exploring new labour markets, he said, the rights and facilities of Bangladeshi workers in existing markets will be ensured. 

At the same time, initiatives will continue to further increase their contribution to the country’s economy through skills development, digital services, accountability of embassies and protection of expatriates’ assets.

He expressed hope that the practical results of various initiatives taken during the government’s first six months would become visible soon. Alongside opening new labour markets, further progress would be made in establishing the rights and dignity of Bangladeshis working abroad, he said.