A technical failure in the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) server has left hundreds of aspiring migrant workers unable to collect their mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) certificates, disrupting their travel plans and putting job opportunities abroad at risk.
According to the expatriates and manpower organizations, hundreds of trained migrant workers across Bangladesh are facing severe delays after a server issue at BMET halted the issuance of PDO certificates last Thursday.
Despite completing their training, many were unable to download or collect the documents, a requirement for processing their visas and confirming air travel.
Although BMET officials claim the server issue was resolved by Monday evening and services have resumed, many workers continue to report persistent difficulties, raising concerns about misinformation and lack of coordination between regional offices and central operations.
Kamrul Hasan, from Feni’s Chhagalnaiya, said he was told by the BMET office that his certificate would be available after training from any computer shop. But attempts to download it failed due to the ongoing server outage.
“I’ve completed the training but can’t proceed further. I went to the district BMET office on Monday, but no one could say when the system would be fixed,” said Zahid Hasan, another affected worker. He added that he and nearly 100 others who trained together have all been left in uncertainty.
In Shariatpur, Hasan Ali is in a similar situation. Though his visa has been processed, he cannot confirm his flight without the certificate. His brother, Sohel Mia, said: “His future is hanging in the balance. We’ve been seeking help but haven’t received any clear answers.”
Mohammad Al Amin, a migrant worker from Comilla, said he had only three days left before his reporting date in Qatar.
“If I can’t get the PDO certificate in time, I will lose my contract. Everything depends on that document,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
Another migrant, Jasim Uddin from Savar, expressed frustration over the lack of updates. “I stayed two nights in Dhaka hoping to collect the certificate. No one had any clear instructions. I’ve already spent more than I could afford,” he said.
Many others shared their frustrations on social media, as the delays continued beyond the usual time frame for certificate delivery, which typically occurs on the same day as training completion.
Despite BMET official’s assurances, the gap between official statements and the experience of affected workers highlights a persistent communication breakdown within the migration services infrastructure. Many continue to wait, uncertain about their immediate future abroad.
When contacted, some regional BMET offices claimed that the server had been restored as of Monday evening.
However, officials at the training unit said they had only heard the issue was resolved but could not confirm it operationally, as technical matters fall outside their purview.
They referred inquiries to BMET’s IT division. System Analyst Abu Raihan said that the server was functioning properly as of Thursday night. Maintenance work continued over the weekend, and by Monday evening, all services were reportedly back online.
He also said that manual systems were available during the outage to support basic operations.
BMET Director (External) Mamun Sarder told Dhaka Tribune that the disruption stemmed from an internal software transition.
“BMET has been running two software platforms. To streamline our operations, we temporarily shut one down on Thursday night,” he said. “Only ten to 12 expatriates faced temporary issues with visa or ticket processing, and those have since been resolved.”
He reiterated that there was no external reason for the disruption and that full service has resumed.