Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment

ministry · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head: Ariful Haque Chowdhury
Role: Minister
Annual budget: ৳8,550,000,000
Staff: —
Established: 2001
Legal basis: Constitution of Bangladesh, Article 55; Rules of Business 1996; Overseas Employment and Migrants Act 2013; Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Policy 2016

Actively pursuing three tracks simultaneously: (1) Malaysia labour market reopening -- agreement signed April 2026, 30,000-40,000 workers targeted; (2) remittance formalisation -- record USD 3.755 billion in March 2026, cumulative FY26 inflows +20% YoY; (3) multilateral migration governance -- UN IMRF commitments, National Action Plan 2026-2030 adopted. Primary risk: over-dependence on Gulf (86% of deployed workers), with economists warning of vulnerability if Middle East instability persists. BMET reform under way via BMET's own clearance portal (oc.bmet.gov.bd) after Ami Probashi contract ended April 2025.

Recent activity

2026-02-17 appointment Ariful Haque Chowdhury (BNP, Sylhet-4) sworn in as dual-portfolio Minister for both Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment AND Labour and Employment in the BNP-led cabinet under PM Tarique Rahman -- the first time both portfolios have been held by a single minister. ↗↗↗
2026-02-19 statement Minister stated that solving expatriates' problems is his top priority; instructed officials to prepare a priority task list for both portfolios aligned with the BNP election manifesto, which targets sending 10 million Bangladeshis abroad in the next five years. ↗↗
2026-02-24 policy Government confirmed mandatory weekly reporting on overseas employment activities by ministry officials, aimed at strengthening monitoring of labour market access, particularly Japan and Gulf countries, and tracking migration cost reduction. ↗
2026-03-15 international Minister held diplomatic talks to enhance support for Bangladeshis in the Middle East, particularly KSA and UAE, as Gulf-bound labour flows constitute approximately 86 percent of total overseas worker deployment; stated that 30 labour welfare wings are active in 27 countries. ↗↗
2026-04-01 other Bangladesh Bank data confirmed a record monthly remittance inflow of USD 3.755 billion in March 2026 -- the highest ever in Bangladesh's history -- representing 14 percent year-on-year growth over USD 3.29 billion in March 2025; cumulative July-March FY2025-26 inflows reached USD 26.21 billion (+20% YoY). ↗↗↗
2026-04-08 international Minister Ariful Haque visited Malaysia alongside PM adviser Mahdi Amin; bilateral agreement reached to fast-track reopening of Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshis. Malaysia agreed to recruit 30,000-40,000 Bangladeshi workers, prioritise construction and manufacturing sectors, adopt an AI-based recruitment platform to eliminate intermediaries, and implement an 'employer pays' model aligned with ILO guidelines. Around 800 vetted workers had already been quietly admitted to construction sector Dec 2025-Jan 2026. ↗↗↗↗↗
2026-04-05 statement Minister told Parliament that more than 1.5 crore (15 million) Bangladeshi expatriates are currently in 176 foreign countries; confirmed Saudi Arabia remains the largest single destination, with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, UAE, and Kuwait together accounting for 86 percent of workers deployed abroad in FY2024-25. ↗
2026-04-22 statement Minister stated remittance growth is boosting Bangladesh's economic stability and contributing to forex reserves reaching USD 34.35 billion; urged expansion of formal remittance channels as economists warn of over-dependence on Middle East amid regional conflict risks. ↗↗↗
2026-05-05 international Minister attended the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) at UN HQ, New York (5-8 May 2026). Bangladesh announced it had fulfilled 7 of its 10 GCM commitments from the first review, submitted 6 new pledges, and adopted a National Action Plan 2026-2030 for safe, orderly, and regular migration; also established a Migration Compact Taskforce. Minister called for fair recruitment practices, decent working conditions, and climate-migration financing. ↗↗↗↗
2026-05-08 statement Minister stressed stronger global cooperation to ensure migrants' rights at the UN IMRF; Bangladesh also tabled language proficiency requirements for overseas job seekers as a reform to improve worker quality and reduce exploitation. ↗↗
2026-05-16 policy Government announced plan for a special housing and investment assistance project for expatriates, featuring apartment-based housing allotments exclusively for Bangladeshi migrants, with security, market facilities, and civic amenities; designed to de-risk expatriate savings and increase productive investment upon return. ↗

Provenance & notes

Established 20 December 2001 under PM Sheikh Hasina's government. Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury (BNP, Sylhet-4, elected 12 Feb 2026) holds both this portfolio and the Labour and Employment portfolio simultaneously -- an unusual dual posting. The ministry's primary operational body is BMET (Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, bmet.gov.bd), which issues emigration clearance, maintains biometric registration, and manages the Ami Probashi platform (now the ministry's own oc.bmet.gov.bd after contract non-renewal April 2025). Budget figure of Tk 855 crore for FY2025-26 is from BSS reporting on the proposed budget; Grant No. 37 / Head No. 140 at mof.portal.gov.bd. KSA block work visa hold was lifted in June 2025 for Bangladesh; Saudi Arabia remains the largest single destination. Malaysia reopening agreement (April 2026) targets 30,000-40,000 workers but is conditional on AI-based system deployment. Verification based on 2+ primary sources for all named events, figures, and personnel data. Annual budget in annual_budget_bdt field is Tk 855 crore = 8,550,000,000 BDT.

Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment

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