Overseas recruitment of Bangladeshi workers halved in March as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupted labour demand and travel, raising concerns over remittance inflows and external sector stability.
Data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) showed that the number of migrant workers receiving clearance to leave for overseas jobs fell 57.5 per cent year-on-year in March 2026 to 44,658, down from 105,027 in the same month a year earlier.
Sector insiders said the decline reflected a significant slowdown in the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers abroad, particularly in the Middle East, which remains the main destination for most migrant workers from Bangladesh.
They linked the fall to rising uncertainty after the start of US and Israeli attacks on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory responses targeting Gulf countries on 28 February.
BMET clearance refers to the official pre-departure authorisation, or clearance card, issued by the agency before a migrant worker can legally travel abroad for employment. The clearance card is required for migrant workers before departure.
However, a significant number of clearance holders have been unable to reach their destinations due to flight cancellations since the beginning of the war.
According to BMET data, clearances for Bangladeshi workers heading to Saudi Arabia – the country’s largest labour market – fell by 69.2 per cent, with 24,862 workers approved to travel in March 2026, down from 80,702 a year earlier.
Clearances to Qatar also dropped by 56.2 per cent to 3,973 from 9,063, while Kuwait saw a 36.8 per cent decline to 1,539 from 2,437. Jordan recorded a smaller fall of 13.2 per cent, with 989 workers cleared compared with 1,140 in the same month last year.
Lebanon saw the sharpest contraction, with clearances plunging 95.5 per cent to just 30 workers, down from 662 a year earlier.
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury said employers in the Middle East region are adopting a cautious approach amid uncertainty.
“If the conflict ends, movement will resume, and demand for workers will return,” he told TIMES.
“However, the most important step now is to explore new labour markets,” he added.
Experts warned that a prolonged slowdown in overseas recruitment could have wide-ranging macroeconomic implications, as Bangladesh relies heavily on remittances to support its foreign exchange reserves.
However, they said the impact on remittance inflows has yet to be felt, as many Bangladeshi workers already abroad continue to send money home.
According to Bangladesh Bank, remittances totalled $3.76 billion in March, up 13.9 per cent from $3.30 billion in the same month last year.
“Remittance inflows have been central to recent improvements in Bangladesh’s external balance, helping the current account move into a small surplus,” economist M Masrur Reaz told TIMES.
“Any decline could reverse this trend,” he added.
He added that remittances have also supported foreign exchange stability and reserve rebuilding efforts. “A slowdown could weaken import capacity and fuel inflation through higher costs of imported goods.”
Reaz said that overseas recruitment remains a key labour outlet for Bangladesh, as nearly half of new job seekers depend on overseas opportunities.
“Each year, around 10 to 11 lakh Bangladeshis go abroad for work. If demand falls, it will significantly affect employment absorption at home,” he added.
Between 1 April and 19 April, BMET issued an additional 25,491 overseas job clearances. In 2025, the agency issued 11.32 lakh clearances.
While recruitment in Gulf countries slowed, some non-Middle Eastern destinations saw growth.
BMET data showed that 5,946 Bangladeshi workers were cleared for Singapore in March, up 15.9 per cent from 5,129 a year earlier.
The Maldives recorded a sharp increase of 176.9 per cent to 1,756 workers, compared with 634 in the same period last year, while Cambodia saw a 151.9 per cent rise to 607 from 241.
Portugal also posted growth, with 415 workers cleared, up 42.1 per cent from 292 a year earlier.
Thousands of flights cancelled
Despite receiving clearance, many workers have been unable to travel because of ongoing flight disruptions in the Middle East.
Officials at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport said more than 1,000 flights to the region have been cancelled since the Iran war began.
Data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh showed that 894 Middle East-bound flights were cancelled in March alone, as several countries closed their airspace on security grounds, including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan.
Search for alternative labour markets
Amid the shifting labour market landscape, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said on 15 April that the government is working to diversify overseas employment destinations.
He said Bangladesh is pursuing bilateral labour agreements with Serbia, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Portugal, Brazil and Russia to expand opportunities for migrant workers.
The prime minister also said the government may appoint local lobbyists and specialised firms abroad, based on recommendations from Bangladesh missions, to support market expansion.
BMET Director General Md Abul Hasanath Humayun Kabir said efforts are under way to secure alternative destinations as opportunities in the Middle East shrink.
“We are trying to ensure that the Malaysian market reopens quickly,” he told TIMES.
Labour migration to Malaysia has remained suspended since June 2024 following allegations of corruption involving recruiting agencies and employers.
He said tighter conditions in Gulf labour markets have pushed the government to focus more on Eastern Europe as a potential destination.
Kabir also pointed to structural barriers, including the absence of foreign missions in Bangladesh from several destination countries, which delays visa processing. He said the foreign ministry is working to expand consular presence in Dhaka.
