Jamil Mahmud

No measures to drive up remittance

The government has not come up with any new measure in the proposed national budget to encourage remitters despite a sluggish growth in remittance inflow in the outgoing fiscal year.

3d ago

Sudan Conflict: 262 back from ‘city of horror’

Mohammad Shahadat, 29, was earning a decent living from his laundry in the Sudanese capital Khartoum until an armed conflict beginning on April 15 plunged the Northeast African country into a civil war.

3w ago

Escape from Khartoum horrors

Ali Sheikh had to leave home with his family after being confined there for around two weeks amidst a civil war in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

4w ago

Recruitment to Malaysia: Still marred by irregularities

Recruitment of new Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia has been tainted by a number of irregularities, with a few dozen workers falling into trouble, which includes joblessness.

The Maldives Labour Market: Unskilled worker recruitment stalled for over 3 years

The labour market in the Maldives for new Bangladeshi workers has remained suspended for about three-and-a-half years now, despite Bangladesh’s continuous efforts to reopen it.

Remittance CHANGING rural economy of Bangladesh

Supported by remittance, the families of Bangladeshi migrant workers are playing a crucial role in developing the country’s rural economy by not only purchasing goods, but also investing in different small-scale income generating opportunities, according to experts.

FY23 budget: Little room for trimming as austerity fails

In the end, was the government’s austerity stance just lip service?

A year since deal inked, Greece yet to hire Bangladeshis

A year has passed since a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Bangladesh and Greece for the latter to recruit Bangladeshi migrant workers. However, Greece is yet to initiate the process.

Irregular Migration of Bangladeshis: Mediterranean route dangerous yet popular

Irregular migration of Bangladeshis to Italy by sea has almost doubled in a year, shows UN data.

Returning with ailments

Md Monir, a migrant worker, returned home from the United Arab Emirates with severe physical pain in June 2021.

Skill factor hinders rise in remittance

Despite sending well over a million migrants abroad last year, Bangladesh is unlikely to get the desired remittance from them as almost four out of five of them were less skilled.

Per capita external debt doubles in 7 years

The country’s per capita external debt currently stands at more than double from what was seven years ago as both public and private sector foreign loans have seen an increase by this time.

Private sector’s foreign debt down by over $1b

The private sector’s foreign debt decreased by 4.3 per cent, or more than $1 billion, in the second quarter of the current fiscal year following Bangladesh Bank’s strict measures to control imports.

Maimed, many are left in the lurch

As Bangladesh sends tens of thousands of migrant workers abroad each year, scores return home prematurely after suffering various injuries or illnesses in the host countries

Worker outflow hits record high but remittance falls

Bangladesh sent the highest number of migrant workers in its history in 2022 thanks to a surge in demand for labourers in the Middle Eastern countries but remittance receipts did not go up proportionately.  

Stimulus for large, small industries: Tk 50,000cr fresh funds see tepid disbursement

Two of the government’s 28 Covid-19 stimulus packages saw a fresh injection of Tk 50,000 crore in the ongoing financial year, but only 4 per cent of the fund was disbursed between July and October.   

Fresh move to import rice as local purchase target may not be met

The government has taken a fresh initiative to import rice amid concerns that the domestic procurement target during the ongoing Aman season might not be achieved. 

Illegal migration to Europe spikes

Illegal migration of Bangladeshis to Europe through various Mediterranean routes saw an upsurge this year, raising concerns over the government measures to control it effectively.

Govt aims to save Tk 20,000 crore

After the prime minister’s directive, the Finance Division yesterday asked the authorities to cut government spending on land acquisition, building construction, and machinery purchase.

Budget implementation stays low despite surging allocation

The government managed to implement 85 per cent of the budget in the last fiscal year despite spending a huge amount as subsidies and incentives, raising questions about the trend of unveiling bigger budgets year after year.  

Remittance receipts to fall by $1b in 2022

With a $21-billion inward remittance anticipated, Bangladesh is likely to be the seventh highest recipient of remittance globally this year, said the World Bank’s latest report.

Wage Earners’ Welfare Board: Expatriates signing up to get benefits

In recent years, Bangladeshi expatriates have been registering as members of the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board (WEWB), which enables them to avail of its various welfare services, right from their host countries.

Labour migration may exceed pre-Covid levels

The growing number of people from Bangladesh registering for work overseas indicates that international migration from the country may soon surpass pre-pandemic levels, according to a recent report by the World Bank.

Infrastructure development: ADB ready to give $20b but has concerns

The Asian Development Bank is ready to give over $20 billion to finance Bangladesh’s road and railway projects but raised concerns over the timely implementation of schemes.

Brunei keen on migrants, Bangladesh want oil

Brunei wants to hire Bangladeshi workers only under a government-to-government arrangement to streamline the recruitment process, which has been plagued with irregularities for years.

Reintegration of returnee migrants: Loan requirements too hard to meet

Returnee migrant workers find it difficult to meet the reintegration loan eligibility set by the Probashi Kallyan Bank.

Regularisation in Greece: 1,000 Bangladeshis register at embassy

More than 1,000 Bangladeshi undocumented migrants have enlisted their names at the Bangladesh embassy in Greece for a regularisation process of the Greek government, which is yet to start.

Fiji to hire more workers from Bangladesh

Fiji has emerged as a potential destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers with job opportunities opening up for foreign workers in various sectors including construction, garment and agriculture.

Finding hope in Maldives

About 16,000 Bangladeshi undocumented migrant workers have so far been regularised in the Maldives under a programme of the Maldivian economic development ministry, according to the Bangladesh High Commission in Malé.

Female migrants in Saudi Arabia: Lure of good days lands them in nightmare

When Julekha Begum left the country in mid-February for a housekeeper job in Saudi Arabia, she promised her seven-year-old son of better days.

573 workers left for Malaysia in August

As many as 573 migrant workers have gone to Malaysia for employment in August, shows latest data of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training.

Ethnic minorities to get jobs in Korea

Persons belonging to ethnic minority communities in Bangladesh will be getting employment opportunities as “seasonal” workers in South Korea’s agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Regularisation of workers: Greece to open up scope for Bangladeshis mid-Sept

The Greek government is likely to start regularising undocumented Bangladeshi migrants from mid-September, according to the Bangladesh embassy in Athens.

Romania labour market opening up

Romania has emerged as a destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers.

Undocumented in Maldives: 34k Bangladeshis to get papers

About 34,000 Bangladeshi undocumented migrant workers in the Maldives are in the pipeline for regularisation under an amnesty programme there, according to an estimate of Bangladesh High Commission in Malé.

Sending workers to Greece: No recruitment even 5 months after deal

More than five months have passed since the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Bangladesh and Greece on sending workers to the European country, but the fresh recruitment is yet to begin.

Malaysia labour market: 2 agencies get ‘recruitment approval’

The government yesterday gave recruitment approval to two agencies for sending migrant workers to Malaysia amid allegations of attempts to create a “syndicate of 25 agencies”.

88pc female migrants get no job contracts

Parul Begum (name changed), a single mother of two, thought she caught a break when she got the offer to work as domestic help in Qatar for a monthly salary of Tk 40,000.

Govt takes austerity to field level

In face of growing pressure on the country’s economy, the government issued strict directives to field-level administration to practise austerity while spending from the budget allocation.

Bangladeshi workers struggling amidst economic crisis in Lebanon

Bangladeshi migrant workers continued to face financial hardship in Lebanon, while many found it difficult to remit money home after making ends meet, due to a prolonged economic crisis there.

Natural disasters 2015-2020: Loss, damage rise tenfold

Household loss and damage due to natural disasters saw nearly tenfold increase in 2015-2020 compared to that in 2009-2014, says a report of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Women do unpaid domestic work 8 times more than men: BBS

Women spend eightfold more time than men in domestic and care work, said a new survey of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Dip in remittance: Hundi at play again

Remittance inflow fell in 11 months of the current fiscal year mainly because a large number of migrants switched to informal channels like hundi from formal ones for sending money, say experts.

Will the budget close gender gap?

In his latest budget speech, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal emphasised on giving importance to young women’s skill development in professional and technical fields to reduce the country’s gender gap.

Elderly poor, others: Govt to shelve safety net expansion plan

The government is going to discard its plan to bring all elderly poor under its social safety net programmes in 100 more upazilas in a bid to prevent the non-poor from misusing the support.

Migration to Malaysia: No progress after MoU

Bangladesh is missing out on a large labour market in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur stopped taking in any fresh Bangladeshi migrants over irregularities by recruiting agencies in 2018.

Remittance may look up: Outward flow of migrant workers hits 4-year high

Nearly 8 lakh migrant workers went abroad in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, comfortably exceeding the numbers a year ago, a development that bodes well for Bangladesh as it could pave the way for higher remittance earnings.

Illegal migration to europe: Desperate trips on deadly routes

Kabir Matubbar (not his real name) took an illegal route to Italy from Bangladesh in 2015. The trip included a daring boat journey in the Mediterranean Sea from Libya.

February 14, 2023
February 14, 2023

Skill factor hinders rise in remittance

Despite sending well over a million migrants abroad last year, Bangladesh is unlikely to get the desired remittance from them as almost four out of five of them were less skilled.

February 13, 2023
February 13, 2023

Per capita external debt doubles in 7 years

The country’s per capita external debt currently stands at more than double from what was seven years ago as both public and private sector foreign loans have seen an increase by this time.

February 13, 2023
February 13, 2023

Private sector’s foreign debt down by over $1b

The private sector’s foreign debt decreased by 4.3 per cent, or more than $1 billion, in the second quarter of the current fiscal year following Bangladesh Bank’s strict measures to control imports.

February 12, 2023
February 12, 2023

Maimed, many are left in the lurch

As Bangladesh sends tens of thousands of migrant workers abroad each year, scores return home prematurely after suffering various injuries or illnesses in the host countries

January 12, 2023
January 12, 2023

Worker outflow hits record high but remittance falls

Bangladesh sent the highest number of migrant workers in its history in 2022 thanks to a surge in demand for labourers in the Middle Eastern countries but remittance receipts did not go up proportionately.  

January 9, 2023
January 9, 2023

Stimulus for large, small industries: Tk 50,000cr fresh funds see tepid disbursement

Two of the government’s 28 Covid-19 stimulus packages saw a fresh injection of Tk 50,000 crore in the ongoing financial year, but only 4 per cent of the fund was disbursed between July and October.   

January 5, 2023
January 5, 2023

Fresh move to import rice as local purchase target may not be met

The government has taken a fresh initiative to import rice amid concerns that the domestic procurement target during the ongoing Aman season might not be achieved. 

December 20, 2022
December 20, 2022

Illegal migration to Europe spikes

Illegal migration of Bangladeshis to Europe through various Mediterranean routes saw an upsurge this year, raising concerns over the government measures to control it effectively.

December 15, 2022
December 15, 2022

Govt aims to save Tk 20,000 crore

After the prime minister’s directive, the Finance Division yesterday asked the authorities to cut government spending on land acquisition, building construction, and machinery purchase.

December 5, 2022
December 5, 2022

Budget implementation stays low despite surging allocation

The government managed to implement 85 per cent of the budget in the last fiscal year despite spending a huge amount as subsidies and incentives, raising questions about the trend of unveiling bigger budgets year after year.