Between February 18 and September 30 of this year, 432,786 Bangladeshis traveled to various countries for employment. During the same period, the country received $24.75 billion in remittances, an increase of $2.80 billion compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

This information was disclosed on Thursday (October 8) during the first meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, held at the National Parliament House. The meeting was presided over by the committee’s chairman, A.K.M. Fazlul Haque Milon.

The report presented at the meeting stated that 36,590 of the workers who went abroad during this period were women. Data highlighting positive growth in remittances, alongside the rise in overseas employment, was also presented.

The parliamentary committee recommended that relevant authorities maintain strict oversight to ensure that expatriate workers—both those leaving and those returning—do not face any negligence or harassment at the airport. Additionally, directives were issued to officials and staff to prevent irregularities and corruption within the ministry’s operations and to perform their duties with transparency.

It was further reported that 186 Bangladeshis stranded in Iran amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East were safely brought back home. This repatriation effort, funded by the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board, included 12 women and eight children.

Meanwhile, data regarding the operations of private recruiting agencies was presented, revealing that there are 2,860 government-approved recruiting agencies in the country, of which 2,187 are currently active. The process of sending workers abroad is being conducted through these legitimate agencies and the state-owned entity, Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL).

Committee members and officials present at the meeting included Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury, State Minister Md. Nurul Haque, Golam Mohammad Siraj, Md. Jashim Uddin, Rafiqul Islam Hilali, Nasir Uddin Ahmed, and Md. Senior officials from the concerned ministries, including Anwarul Islam and Abul Kawser Mohammad Nazrul Islam, were present.