Bangladesh has sent 991,713 workers abroad for employment from January 1 to December 28, marking a positive trend in overseas job opportunities.
According to a Bangladesh Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) official, 931,533 of these workers were men and 60,180 were women.
In terms of remittance, expatriate Bangladeshis sent over $2 billion in the first 21 days of December alone, according to the latest data from Bangladesh Bank.
The total worker remittances for the July-November period of the fiscal year reached $11.14 billion, showing a 26% increase compared to the same period last year.
BMET Deputy Director Mohammad Jahirul Alam Majumder said the influx of remittances has surged as expatriates' incomes have risen over the past nine months.
He added that the government is working not only to increase the number of overseas migrant workers but also to ensure their rights and protection.
Experts highlighted that expatriates have been sending back savings from their daily expenses, contributing to the remittance flow.
They recommended investing in the development of skilled manpower, particularly in fields like healthcare, to meet the growing global demand for professionals such as nurses and doctors.
The government has set up numerous training centres across the country and implemented skill development programs to equip job seekers with the skills needed for the international job market.
These programs cover a wide range of fields, including shipbuilding, refrigeration, mechanics, electrical machine maintenance, welding, catering, masonry, and various foreign languages like Korean, Arabic, Cantonese, and Japanese.
In a bid to enhance foreign currency earnings, the government has also emphasized the importance of documented overseas employment.
The overseas employment sector has been declared a "thrust sector," with a strong focus on expanding job markets for Bangladeshi workers abroad.