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Like Amdadul, hundreds of migrant workers have left Bangladesh this year in hopes for the same. These overseas employees have achieved a remarkable milestone. A staggering 1.25 million workers have reportedly been sent abroad in 2023, exceeding last year's record of 1.14 million. The top destinations for Bangladeshis in 2023, like last year, are Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Singapore, and Kuwait...

According to the World Bank and the IOM, the cost of labour migration from Bangladesh is the highest in the world, but the income of Bangladeshi migrants is the lowest. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) conducted a large-scale survey on the cost of migration from Bangladesh in 2020, revealing that our workers spend around Tk 4.71 lakh each to go abroad. The report says that Bangladeshi workers need nearly 18 months to recover their migration costs. Though the government has fixed the migration cost to 14 countries at a maximum of Tk 1.66 lakh, jobseekers have to pay three to six times higher.

This mismatch is due to the migration process being driven by middlemen who charge hefty amounts for their services. Visa trading is also a common practice, wherein middlemen are involved in the illegal selling and buying of work visas, ultimately adding to the cost of migration...

Being issued a passport, getting a visa, and acquiring medical test results are all problematic, and the services are not the easiest to access. And after facing all these barriers, when a migrant finally reaches their destination, they are often exploited...

... whenever they visit the Bangladeshi mission in their destination country in times of difficulty, they often face neglect. And, upon returning home after long periods of time, they also face harassment at the airport in Dhaka...

While the government has indeed taken various positive initiatives in the field of migration, there is still a long way to go. Skilling up workers before they migrate is still a challenge. Additionally, options for more destination countries must be explored. We also need a system wherein the whole recruitment process is transparent. Overall, good governance is required in the migration sector.

We must understand that migrants are not money-making machines; they are human beings who deserve dignity and better care. We need to advocate the rights and dignity of migrant workers every day. If we do not respect our own citizens, no one abroad will. If we honour them today, other countries will be bound to care for them as well.