Interim government Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has said that brokers are the biggest obstacle to Bangladesh’s overseas workforce export, stressing the need to protect migrant workers from exploitation at every stage of the process.
He made the remarks on Wednesday while speaking at a programme marking International Migrants Day and National Expatriates Day 2025 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka.
Dr Yunus said every aspiring migrant worker must be safeguarded from brokers. Recalling the recent detention of Bangladeshi workers in the United Arab Emirates, he noted that the workers had gone abroad through great hardship. Despite being aware of the legal consequences, they violated certain laws in what they believed was the national interest. Following diplomatic appeals, the UAE authorities later released the detained workers.
Sharing another experience, Dr Yunus said that after assuming office as Chief Adviser, he learned during Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to Bangladesh that around 17,000 Bangladeshi workers were unable to travel to Malaysia because their permits had expired, even though they had completed all required procedures. After a request was made, the Malaysian prime minister agreed to accept the workers. During a subsequent visit to Malaysia, Dr Yunus observed that the entire sector was dominated by brokers and syndicates, while the government remained largely detached from the process—an unfortunate reality for migrant workers.
Referring to his visit to Japan, Dr Yunus said Japanese authorities informed him of a significant labour shortage. While Japan had recruited around 7,000 workers from Nepal, it had taken only 2,000 from Bangladesh. He said he was surprised by the disparity and told Japanese officials that Bangladesh could supply as many as 100,000 workers, provided they received proper language training.
He further noted that in many Japanese cities, taxi services have been suspended due to a shortage of drivers, and vast stretches of land remain uncultivated. Japanese authorities indicated that if manpower were sent from Bangladesh, agricultural activities and essential services could be revived.
