MANPOWER EXPORT FROM BANGLADESH: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the problems and prospects of manpower export, a sector of vital importance to the Bangladeshi economy. It examines the scale and significance of labor migration and the flow of remittances, highlighting their crucial role in the country's balance of payments and in poverty reduction. The study then delves into the major problems that plague the sector. These include the high costs of migration, the exploitation of workers by unscrupulous recruitment agencies, a lack of adequate protection for migrants in destination countries, and the predominance of low-skilled labor in the export basket. The research then explores the future prospects and the policy changes needed to realize them. This includes a focus on skills development to move up the value chain, the exploration of new labor markets, and a more proactive diplomatic effort to secure better and safer working conditions for Bangladeshi migrants. The analysis concludes that a more strategic and better-regulated approach to manpower export is needed to maximize its developmental benefits.

The export of manpower and the resulting inflow of remittances is a cornerstone of the Bangladeshi economy. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the major problems and future prospects of this critical sector. The first part of the study is a diagnosis of the persistent problems. It provides an in-depth look at the recruitment process, highlighting the exploitative role of the "middlemen" or "dalals" and the failure of the government to effectively regulate the private recruitment agencies. The paper also discusses the significant challenges that migrant workers face abroad, from contract substitution and non-payment of wages to poor living conditions and human rights abuses, and critiques the limited capacity of Bangladeshi diplomatic missions to provide effective consular protection. The second part of the paper shifts to a forward-looking analysis of the prospects for the sector. It argues that the long-term sustainability of manpower export depends on a strategic shift from a focus on quantity (of low-skilled workers) to a focus on quality (of skilled and semi-skilled workers). The paper makes a strong case for a massive national investment in vocational and technical training that is geared towards the demands of the international labor market. It also explores the potential for diversifying the destination countries beyond the traditional markets in the Middle East. The paper concludes with a call for a comprehensive and rights-based national migration policy that would both protect the welfare of the workers and enhance the long-term developmental impact of their remittances.