Though Bangladesh is working to increase multilateral
engagement with the East European countries through export of goods and
manpower, as of now the engagement with that region is still low compared to
the expectation of the stakeholders concerned.
The present BNP government under the leadership of Prime
Minister Tarique Rahman has a plan to increase export to East European
countries as the market in the western European countries has been saturated,
sources said.
Bangladesh exports are mainly consented to some west European
Union countries like Germany, France, Italy, Spain and UK while export to rest
of the European countries are less compared to expectations of the Bangladesh
government, sources in the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
Bangladesh's export earnings slipped 0.58 percent to roughly
48 billion U.S. dollars in the just-concluded 2025-26 fiscal year (July
2025-June 2026).
According to official data released by the Export Promotion
Bureau on Sunday, the country shipped goods worth 4.20 billion dollars in June,
nearly 26 percent higher than the same month a year ago, largely due to the
growing demand for ready-made garments.
Of the total export earnings in the last fiscal year,
Bangladesh earned 38.70 billion dollars from exports of ready-made garments,
including knitwear and woven garments.
Bangladesh had set its export target for the 2025-26 fiscal
year at 55 billion dollars, including nearly 45 billion dollars from ready-made
garment products
Germany with 4720 million US dollars, Britain with 4670
million US dollars, Spain with 3794 million US dollars, Italy with 1543 million
US dollars and, Netherlands 2470 million US dollars remained main export
markets of Bangladesh during 2025-26 fiscal year, according to the Export
Promotion Bureau (EPB)
In the fiscal year 2023-24, Bangladesh's total exports to the
EU reached $23.08 billion, primarily driven by net inflows from goods exports,
particularly clothing items. These net inflows, excluding the service sector
deficit, totaled $18.63 billion. The EU remains Bangladesh's largest trading
bloc and consistently contributes to the country's trade surplus
According to statistics of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB),
Bangladesh exported goods worth 51,542.70 million US dollars to different
counties during July-May period of the 2023-24, over 50 per cent entered the EU
markets. Out of total exports to EU countries, Bangladesh exported the maximum
portion to the west European Union countries.
As population in the European Union including East European
countries are decreasing, the Bangladesh government took up a project named
‘Talent Partnership’ with the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to
Bangladesh and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to help migrate
3,000 Bangladeshis to European countries, sources in Bureau of Manpower,
Employment and Training (BMET).
Former Secretary General of Bangladesh Association of
International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) and incumbent Director of East West
Human Resource Center Ltd. Ali Haider Chowdhury while talking to this
correspondent said that the Bangladesh government should engage with EU
countries to open consular service in Dhaka to speed up the migration process.
Despite gradual rise in demand in the labour market of the EU
countries, Bangladesh has not succeeded in sending required workers to EU
countries against the backdrop of lack of consular services of countries
concerned in Bangladesh, said a leader of Bangladesh Association of
International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA)
Ali Haider Chowdhury said that the Bangladesh government
should engage talks with EU countries to launch consular service in Dhaka as
intending Bangladeshi workers need to go to New Delhi to get a Schengen
visa. He said even getting an Indian
visa is time consuming and sometimes the visa requests are rejected by the High
Commission of India. He said even after getting an Indian visa, an intending
visa seeker has to stay one month in New Delhi to process her EU visa.
While talking to this correspondent, a high official of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the government of Bangladesh can
construct high-rise condominiums at Gulshan and offer to East European
countries to set up their mission or consular services.
As running a mission
in Bangladesh is highly expensive, no east European country has not opened a
mission in Dhaka.
Source said that the eastern EU member states like Bulgaria,
Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland,
Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia have no mission or consular service in Dhaka.
A Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) official while
talking to this correspondent said that the Bangladesh government still has
some land properties at Gulshan and Banani that it can offer to some European
countries to set up missions or consular services. In recent times, the Embassy of Italy handed
the possession of the Gulshan land property to the Bangladesh government.
In Dhaka (At Baridhara), Germany and France have shared the
same building to run their mission. A Mofa official said some European
countries including eastern EU member states will be interested to set up
missions or consular services if land properties or condominiums are offered to
them, said a Mofa official.
Even the government can construct a high rise building at
Gulshan and Banani and give lease to east European interested in opening
missions or consumer services, said a Bangladesh diplomat who worked in the
east European country.
The house rent at Gulshan and Baridhara is highly expensive
and lifestyle is also as expensive as in European countries, said a Bangladesh
diplomat who works in an EU country.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has some missions in some East European
countries like Warsaw in Poland,
Bucharest in Romania, Moscow in Russian Federation, Tashkent in Uzbekistan and
Ankara in Republic of Turkey.
Former Chief Adviser of interim government Bangladesh
Professor Muhammad Yunus last year held a constructive and meaningful meeting
with the EU diplomats based in Dhaka and New Delhi, and sought their
participatory cooperation in some urgent issues relating to Bangladeshis.
Professor Muhammad
Yunus called upon the European Union (EU) to relocate its visa centres for
Bangladeshis from Delhi to Dhaka or to any other neighbouring country.
He made the call when a 19-member EU delegation, led by
Michael Miller, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, met him
at the former Chief Adviser's Office in Tejgaon last year.
Meanwhile, the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to
Bangladesh and the International Labour Organization (ILO) on July 8, 2024
signed an agreement for the Talent Partnership Project, which will facilitate
safe and regular migration of skilled workers from Bangladesh to EU Member
States to help meet growing skilled labour shortages in EU Member States.
The growth model of the eastern EU member states (Bulgaria,
Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland,
Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia) will be heavily affected in the coming years by
the region’s population trends. Some of these countries, such as Latvia and
Bulgaria, are among the worst globally in terms of population decline.
Declining populations in this region will drag on countries’ economic growth
potential and will increasingly force governments to address labour shortages,
through policies such as increases in pension ages and relaxation of
immigration rules. Declining populations will place eastern EU member states at
a stark disadvantage compared with other emerging markets and will be the
single largest drag on long-term growth.
The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Bangladesh and
the International Labour Organization (ILO) on July 8, 2024 signed an agreement
for the Talent Partnership Project, which will facilitate safe and regular
migration of skilled workers from Bangladesh to EU Member States to help meet
growing skilled labour shortages in EU Member States.
The Talent Partnership programme is an initiative referenced
under the European Union’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum, aiming to match
skilled labour supply in Third Countries with skilled labour demand in EU
Member States while ensuring safe and regular mobility pathways for skilled
migrant workers in compliance with international human rights and labour
rights. In this ways the Talent
Partnership programme aims to develop a mutually beneficial relationship between
Bangladesh and EU Member States on skilled labour migration.
Neeran Ramjuthan, Office in Charge of the ILO in Bangladesh,
said “The Talent Partnership aims to contribute to matching and balancing
skilled labour demand and supply, supporting economic growth, and enhancing the
safety and recognition of skilled migrant workers, while fostering
collaborative opportunities between EU Member States and Bangladesh for mutual
benefit and in accordance with international labour standards.”
Under the Talent Partnership Project, students, graduates and
skilled workers from Bangladesh will be able to access opportunities to live,
work and further develop their skills in various European Member States. The Talent Partnership Project will also
facilitate access to opportunities for preparatory vocational and other
required training in Bangladesh. The
project will furthermore facilitate access to reintegration support for
migrants returning to their countries of origin.
Charles Whiteley, the then Ambassador and Head of Delegation
of the European Union to Bangladesh said “Skilled labour migration is crucial
for future economic growth in Europe, given the significant skilled labour
deficits in a widening range of occupational sectors. This Talent Partnership
programme with Bangladesh will furthermore facilitate regular and safe mobility
mobility pathways for mutual benefit of Bangladesh and involved EU Member
States”.
The Talent Partnership Project in Bangladesh builds upon the
achievements and results by the ILO's Skills 21 project, funded by the European
Union, and the project will facilitate the training, assessment and a safe and
regular mobility pathway for 3,000 skilled migrant workers from Bangladesh to
sector occupations in EU Member States.
The then, Secretary Dr Md Nazrul Islam noted that
“Bangladesh’s demographic dividend, skilled workforce and long tradition of
overseas employments means that Bangladesh is well suited to collaborate with
EU Member States on skilled labour supply in a range of occupational sectors,
incl. ICT, nursing and caregiving, agriculture, hospitality and tourism,
construction, transport and logistics.
We are therefore pleased with this welcome EU initiative for mutual
long-term benefit”.
A wide range of Senior Officials of the Government of
Bangladesh, representing among other the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the Ministry of
Education attended the signing ceremony and expressed their satisfaction that
Bangladeshi migrant workers will have access to training with recognized
qualifications and longer-term work opportunities overseas, resulting in
productive wages and remittances.
Antonio Alessandro, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy, furthermore stated “Talent Partnerships encompass the elements required to match Italy’s skilled labour demand with the skilled labour supply from Bangladesh, as well as to address the prevalence of unethical recruitment practices, irregular migration flows, economic exploitation, etc.”’
Achim Tröster, former Ambassador of the Federal Republic of
Germany, furthermore highlighted Germany’s hopes for the Talent Partnership
project, saying, “Trafficking in persons, visa fraud, and other illegal
practices are gross violations of human rights. These issues also diminish the
opportunities for qualified and honest Bangladeshis who patiently wait their
turn. We therefore combat these widespread practices with the full power of the
law in Germany. We therefore welcome the Talent Partnership initiative and its
emphasis on safe and regular skilled labour migration from Bangladesh to
collaborating EU Member States.
The speeches were well received by the high-level
representatives present, and the Moderator thanked the speakers for their
favourable reception of the Talent Partnership initiative, and wished all
present much success collaborating on skilled, safe and regular labour
migration between Bangladesh and EU Member States.
Meanwhile, the growth model of the eastern EU member states
(Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary,
Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia) will be heavily affected in the coming
years by the region’s population trends. Some of these countries, such as
Latvia and Bulgaria, are among the worst globally in terms of population
decline. Declining populations in this region will drag on countries’ economic
growth potential and will increasingly force governments to address labour
shortages, through policies such as increases in pension ages and relaxation of
immigration rules. Declining populations will place eastern EU member states at
a stark disadvantage compared with other emerging markets and will be the
single largest drag on long-term growth.
Over the medium term (2023‑27) all countries, apart from the
Czech Republic, will experience population decline in the range of 0.1% and
0.8% a year. The Czech Republic’s population will merely stagnate, owing to net
positive migration.
Although these declines are not dramatic in and of
themselves, the ageing of these populations will also contribute to shrinking
labour forces. We forecast that the old-age dependency ratio will increase to
an average of 36.7% in 2030 for the east European countries for which we
produce such forecasts, compared with 32.3% in 2022. In Slovakia, Slovenia and
Poland the old-age dependency ratio will rise by over 6 percentage points.
The impact of shrinking labour forces will be uneven
sectorally and geographically. The long-standing urbanisation trend will
continue, leaving smaller provincial towns and villages extremely vulnerable to
labour shortages, including for essential services, thereby preventing a faster
narrowing of regional inequalities.
Labour-intensive agricultural sectors will be among the most
affected by labour shortages, exacerbated by low wages. The impact on services
and industry will be mixed, with some subsectors—such as retail, hospitality
and education—experiencing labour shortages, while others—notably finance,
technology and professional services, which are higher paid—seeing greater
competition. Low levels of state and private-sector investment into research
and development (R&D) will not only curb productivity-promoting technological
advancements, but will also lead to shortages in science, technology, education
and mathematics careers, as salaries remain lower than in western Europe.
Productivity gains
will be solid over the medium term on average, partly offsetting the impact of
population declines. Strong foreign direct investment (FDI) flows, including as
part of a broader geoeconomic realignment of supply chains, as well as
consistent policies in moving production up the value chain, will support these
productivity gains. Access to EU funds and advanced technology will also help.
In 2030-50 productivity growth will slow but will remain firmly above 2% in the
majority of these countries, largely owing to investment in FDI-driven
automation and to a lesser extent human capital development.
Out of these
countries, the Czech Republic will remain among the best placed in the long
term given both its current population projections and among the highest labour
productivity growth in the region. This is due to high R&D expenditure
compared with its east European peers, close integration with German supply
chains and one of the highest FDI/GDP ratios in the region. Even so, most
eastern EU member states compare unfavourably with other, mostly Asian, emerging
economies, where productivity gains are also solid and population growth still
positive.
The biggest drag on state budgets and overall economic activity will come from the large number of workers retiring in coming decades and the much smaller workforce available to support them. People over 65 constitute about a fifth of the population in the region on average and that share could rise to about a quarter by 2030.
Most governments have already planned for gradual increases in the statutory retirement age. This will be a contentious issue, but rising life expectancy and improving working conditions are likely to make higher retirement ages more acceptable. Such measures will provide some relief to state finances but will not solve the region’s labour market woes: over the longer term, the number of people going into retirement will continue to exceed those entering the workforce.
Shrinking labour forces and ageing populations mean that the
region will have to increasingly rely on immigration to compensate for labour
shortages. Historically there has been major pushback against immigration in
these countries, and the limited number of immigrants they received were more
than offset by a large number of people leaving their homelands for western
Europe and other developed countries.
However, there is an observable trend of increased
immigration, and in some countries net migration turned positive either in the
late 2010s or during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, there has been a
substantial increase in residency permits granted and an increasing reliance on
seasonal workers from abroad.
These trends will only intensify over the medium to long
term. As governments try to balance negative public opinion about immigration,
short-term and seasonal employment rules are likely to be relaxed, allowing
employers to access additional labour from abroad but preventing these people
from settling permanently.
Regardless, more immigration in the region is inevitable if
living standards are to be maintained, and we are likely to see a permanent
shift towards net positive migration in the eastern EU member states, in line
with most of their peers in western Europe.
