Humaira Binte Kabir

 As the war situation in the middle–east improves with the USA and Iran are working on a peace deal, manpower of Bangladesh has improved in May with the country exported a total of 60,155 workers to different countries clocking 23 per cent growth over the previous month, according to Bureau, Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET)       

Bangladesh exported a total of 48,987 workers in April, a total of 45,112 workers in March and 67,969 in February and 99,616 workers in January, according to according to Bureau, Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET)       

The USA-Israel imposed war on Iran has hit the overseas employment of Bangladesh creating an uncertainty in the overseas job market, said a leader of Bangladesh Association of International Recruitment Agencies (BAIRA).

The manpower export during the last three months plummeted sharply with USA and Iran at loggerhead over ending the war and ensuring peace and stability in the region.

Bangladesh exported a total of 95,092 workers in January, 65,634 workers in February, 44629 workers in March and 43,490 workers in April to overseas countries.

Saudi Arabia remained the top destination with 30,513 workers, followed by Qatar with 8902, Singapore 5683 workers, the Maldives with 2934, USA with 2103, Jordan with 1397 workers, Kuwait with 1376 workers, Italy with 980 workers, Iraq with 634 workers and Mauritius with 550 workers.

Saudi Arabia remained the top destination in both months, though numbers declined significantly.  Labour recruiters noted that low-skilled workers continue to dominate Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern routes.

A leader of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies said that export of manpower to different countries is expected to get momentum, provided the USA and Iran sealed a peace deal

Meanwhile, the USA-Israel imposed war on Iran has hit the overseas employment of Bangladesh creating an uncertainty in the overseas job market, said Bangladesh Association of International Recruitment Agencies (BAIRA).

The manpower export during the last three months plummeted sharply with USA and Iran are at loggerhead over ending the war and ensuring peace and stability in the region.

Bangladesh exported a total of 95,092 workers in January, 65,634 workers in February, 44629 workers in March and 43,490 workers in April to overseas countries.

The creation of jobs in the local and international markets are in a shambles with growing energy prices shaking the global economic growth including Bangladesh, said a BAIRA leader.

 Saudi Arabia remained the top destination in both months, though numbers declined significantly.  Labour recruiters noted that low-skilled workers continue to dominate Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern routes.

Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, said: "The payment structure is still between Tk25,000 and Tk30,000. Most Bangladeshis are employed as cleaners, construction workers, and housemaids. The government has yet to renegotiate salaries with destination countries to ensure better earnings for our workers."

The BNP government is counting millions of taka in the energy subsidies to maintain economic engine of the economy.

However, policy-makers and BAIRA leaders also see a positive scenario out of war in the middle east. The oil-rich countries are most likely to rebuild their infrastructures, damaged in the war requiring thousands of workers. The recontraction works in the Gulf countries can give a boost overseas job markets after the USA-Israel imposed war in the middle -east ends.

Meanwhile, Dr. Khalilur Rahman held meeting diplomats of Gulf countries at a breakfast meeting on Tuesday morning at the state guest House Padma and seek their cooperation on energy and employment of Bangladeshis in the region…….

The manpower export to different overseas countries posted some 64 per cent growth in February, 2026 compared to the export in January, 2026 according to the data of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET)

Bangladesh exported a total of 154,508 workers to different countries during the month of February 2026, according to the data of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET)

Meanwhile, the manpower export to different overseas countries posted 21 percent negative growth in the month of January of 2026 compared to the export of December of 2025, according to the data of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET)

According to country clearance statistics from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), a total of 94,189 workers went abroad in January, down from 119,389 in December 2025. The month-on-month decline of 25,200 workers represents a fall of about 21.1 percent.

Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, said: "The payment structure is still between Tk25,000 and Tk30,000. Most Bangladeshis are employed as cleaners, construction workers, and housemaids. The government has yet to renegotiate salaries with destination countries to ensure better earnings for our workers."

Meanwhile, the Iran war will push more than 30 million people back into poverty, with the knock-on effects of the conflict likely to increase food insecurity in the coming months, the United Nations has warned.

Disruption to fuel and fertiliser supplies due to the ongoing blocking of cargo vessels through the Strait of Hormuz has already lowered agricultural productivity and will hit crop yields later this year, the UN’s development chief said on Thursday.

“Even if the war would stop tomorrow, those effects, you already have them, and they will be pushing back more than 30 million people into poverty,” said Alexander De Croo, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

He also warned of other fallouts of the United States-Israeli war on Iran, including energy shortages and falling remittances.

Much of the world’s fertiliser is produced in the Middle East, and one-third of global supplies passes through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran and the US are jostling for control.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently warned that a prolonged crisis in the strait could lead to a global food “catastrophe”.

India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, and Egypt are among the countries most at risk, according to the FAO.

“Food insecurity will be at its peak level in a few months – and there is not much that you can do about it,” De Croo said.

The knock-on effects of the Iran conflict have already wiped out 0.5 percent to 0.8 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), according to De Croo, who noted, “Things that take decades to build up, it takes eight weeks of war to destroy them.”

 De Croo, the former prime minister of Belgium, also warned that the Middle East crisis is straining humanitarian efforts in other parts of the world, with the sector already facing funding cuts.

The US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which began on February 28, have also choked up key humanitarian aid routes, delaying life-saving shipments to some of the world’s worst crises.

“We will have to say to certain people, really sorry, but we can’t help you,” De Croo said. “People who would be surviving on help will not have this, and will be pushed into even greater vulnerability.”

Though India and Pakistan have estimated the number of citizens returned to their respective countries as a fallout of war in the Iran. Bangladesh has not estimated the number of migrants returned home after the war begins, said a BMET official.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India recently stated that over 12.60 lakh passengers have returned to India from West Asia since February 28.

In light of the evolving situation in West Asia, the Government of India remains actively engaged in ensuring preparedness and continuity across key sectors through coordinated response measures.

The MEA said it continues to monitor developments in the Gulf and West Asia region, with focussed efforts on ensuring safety, security and welfare of the Indian community in the region.

The Government is according high priority to the welfare of Indian seafarers in the region.

Indian Missions are extending all assistance to the Indian crew members on vessels in the region including coordination with the local authorities and agencies, extending consular assistance and facilitating requests to return to India, the Ministry said.

Meanwhile, over 10,000 Paki­stanis, including pilgrims, businesspersons and students, have crossed into Pakistan from Iran through the Taftan border following the US-Israel attack on Iran.

Muhammad Bahram Khan, the director of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Balochistan, said that in view of the ongoing situation in Iran, the agency has kept immigration and border management arrangements at the Taftan border fully operational and effective.

He said that, along with facilitating passengers arriving at Taftan, security requirements are also being ensured.