Wednesday 12 February 2025
           
Wednesday 12 February 2025
       
Skilled workers’ migration from BD drops
Rabiul Haque
Publish: Sunday, 12 January, 2025, 5:31 PM

* 10,11,969 went abroad in 2024
* 4,91,480 of them unskilled
Despite the increase in demand for skilled workers abroad, the number of skilled workers sent from Bangladesh has decreased. Especially, the export rate has gradually decreased from 2021 to 2024 compared to 2016 to 2019. In contrast, the export of low-skilled and semi-skilled workers has increased.
Experts believe that this trend has been created due to the lack of adequate initiatives and policies for skill development. As a result, the possibility of earning foreign currency is being lost. Bangladesh is lagging behind in the competition in the expatriate labor market.
In the latest year of 2024, 1,11,969 Bangladeshis went abroad for work. Among them, the number of skilled workers is 2,14,044, which is 23.62 percent of the total labor market. 41,621 people have migrated as professionals, which is 4.59 percent of the total labor market. 491,480 people or 54.23 percent have gone abroad as low-skilled workers. That is, more than half of the total manpower export has gone abroad as low-skilled workers. In addition, 159,128 people or 17.56 percent have gone abroad as semi-skilled workers.
This information has been revealed from a report by Refugee and Migratory Movements Research (RAMRU). RAMRU said that they prepared the report with this information from the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET).
BMET divides migrant workers into four categories according to their skills. These are professionals, skilled, semi-skilled and low-skilled workers. Doctors, engineers, architects, teachers, accountants, computer operators, pharmacists, nurses, foremen, diploma engineers, paramedics and salespeople are considered professionals.
Mechanics, welders, porters, electricians, painters, cooks, drivers, plumbers, garment workers and certified caregivers are considered skilled workers. Farmers and gardeners and those working as helpers in garments and shops are considered semi-skilled workers. Cleaners and domestic workers are considered low-skilled workers.
Sector stakeholders say that the number of low-skilled or unskilled workers in the foreign labor market from Bangladesh is gradually increasing. On the other hand, the export of skilled workers is gradually decreasing.
8-year picture of manpower export
According to the Ramru report, the export of skilled manpower has decreased from 2021 to 2024. On the other hand, the number of low-skilled worker exports has increased compared to the previous four years.
21 percent of the total manpower going abroad in 2021 was skilled, 75.24 percent was low-skilled, 3.28 percent was semi-skilled and 0.14 percent was professional.
In 2022, 22.73 percent of skilled manpower went abroad, 73.08 percent of low-skilled, 3.85 percent of semi-skilled and 0.34 percent of professionals.
In 2023, the number of skilled manpower was 24 percent. This year, the number of low-skilled workers was less than before, about 50 percent. However, the number of professionals and unskilled workers going abroad increased. The number of professionals was 4.14 percent and the number of semi-skilled workers was 21.01 percent. This trend continued in 2024. Last year, 23.62 percent of skilled, 17.56 percent of semi-skilled, 54.23 percent of low-skilled and 4.59 percent of professionals went abroad for work.
According to BMET sources, there is no data on manpower export during the 2020 Covid period. However, the number of skilled workers in manpower export from 2016 to 2019 was almost double that of 2021 to 2024.
In 2016, 42.08 percent of the total manpower export went abroad as skilled. 40.08 percent went as low skilled, 15.83 percent semi-skilled, zero.61 percent professional and 1.40 percent other.
In 2017, 43.07 percent of the manpower sent was skilled. This year, 39.84 percent went as low skilled, 15.43 percent semi-skilled, zero.45 percent professional and 1.22 percent other workers went.
In 2018, 43.25 percent went as skilled, 38.55 percent low skilled, 16.04 percent semi-skilled, zero.36 percent professional and 1.80 percent other workers went.
In 2019, 44 percent skilled workers went, 41 percent low skilled, 14 percent semi-skilled and 1 percent professional.
Govt’s attention is less 
Immigration experts say that for three consecutive years, about one million workers from Bangladesh have gone abroad for work. Most of them are becoming low skilled or unskilled. However, the government has paid little attention to producing skilled manpower in this sector. Again, a certain part of them are also returning after being cheated. Emphasis should be placed on exporting skilled workers rather than sending more people. Then the labor markets will be stronger.
In addition, analysts believe that if people are sent abroad without ensuring skill development and high-quality training, the country’s remittance flow may also come under pressure in the future.
Ramru said that the picture of the labor market from 2016 to 2024 shows that the number of professional workers has always been small. Bangladesh mainly participates in the semi-skilled and low-skilled labor market. From 2016 to 2022, the share of professionals was almost zero. The organization, which works with migrants, blames the quality of BMET’s training, lack of recognition and necessary budget, manpower crisis and the reluctance of recruiting agencies to send skilled workers.
Ramru founding chairperson and Dhaka University professor Tasnim Siddiqui told Daily Industry, “It is not possible to send skilled workers without producing skilled workers. The visas we receive are for unskilled workers. The skills our workers have are not recognized outside. The market demand does not match our workers. The skills that are being produced in our training centers are not being used abroad. For this, the government needs to produce skilled manpower. Then, recruiting agencies need to be encouraged to bring skilled workers to work.”
“Those who are going abroad also do not want to spend money to acquire skills. They want to go abroad by spending lakhs of taka, but do not want to get training for Tk 30,000,” said Tasnim Siddiqui.
Training centers inactive
Asif Munir, an expert on immigration and refugees, told Daily Industry, “Our training centers (TTCs) are from the Mandhata era. They are all political. Ministers and secretaries have built in their own areas. There is a lack of adequate learning system and skilled trainers. The training that is given is also not fruitful. TTCs cannot teach modern work according to the foreign labor market. They cannot make people skilled for our country’s work, let alone in foreign countries. A review will show that only buildings have been built in the last few years. Skilled workers have not been produced. Good trainers have not been produced either. However, if the government wants, it can produce workers suitable for the foreign labor market. It can bring professional trainers if necessary.’
Ramrur Chairman Tasneem Siddiqui said, ‘In the training center we have, no one can become skilled with three months of training. A minimum of six months of training is required. Besides, there is a manpower shortage in the training center as well. There is also no adequate allocation for TTC.’
In this regard, Shah Abdul Tariq, Additional Director General (Training) of the Manpower Employment and Training Bureau, said, ‘Workers are leaving according to the demands coming from abroad. Our TTC is working. It will gradually improve. The three-month training that is being given is now being tried to be made six months. We cannot send everyone the amount of skilled manpower that we are creating. Many times, there is no demand. We have skilled workers, but if there is no demand, these workers will not be able to go.’
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury told Daily Industry, ‘If there is no demand for skilled workers, we cannot send them forcibly. We have never failed the demands of foreign recruiters. We send them as they demand. If they want labor, they send labor. If they want technicians, we send technicians. Each country takes people from different countries according to their policy. They keep a balance. They decide which category of people they will take from which country.’
What needed to create skilled workers
Immigration expert Asif Munir said that various international organizations have created many curricula for workers based on sectors, starting from language to scope of work. But these are not being implemented. Skilled workers must be created according to the needs of foreign companies. Research on the labor market based on the Middle East, Asia, and Europe must be conducted. Training arrangements must be made according to the needs of those countries. Instead of sending more workers, we must send fewer workers and ensure their salaries and security. A new labor market must be opened. Worker-friendly agreements must be made. Every worker must be sent on a valid visa.



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