Past Events 2026

Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) organised a press conference at the National Press Club, Dhaka, to launch its annual research report titled “The Patterns and Trends of Labour Migration from Bangladesh in 2025: Achievements and Challenges”. The report presents a comprehensive analysis of Bangladesh’s international labour migration scenario in 2025. It highlighting key trends, major developments, roles of service providing institutions, legal and policy changes, migrant protection in the light of international law, and a set of policy recommendations. The event was graced by renowned photographer and writer Dr. Shahidul Alam as the chief guest. The keynote presentation of the report was delivered by Dr. Tasneem Siddiqui, Acting Executive Director of RMMRU. The event was attended by 97 journalists and received significant media coverage from 32 newspapers and 13 television channels.

In his speech, Dr. Shahidul Alam emphasised that migrants should not be viewed merely as numbers but as human beings. He noted that although the government earns significant revenue from migrants, there are still inadequate initiatives to make their lives easier, which contradicts the vision of a discrimination-free society. He also criticised the continued reliance on postal ballots for migrant voting, stating that it is not compatible with the realities of the digital era.

Presenting the key findings, Dr. Tasneem Siddiqui stated that compared to 2024, overseas labour migration from Bangladesh increased by around 12 percent in 2025. A total of 62,317 women workers migrated abroad in 2025, representing about 5.5 percent of total migrants. However, compared to 2022, women’s migration declined. In terms of destinations, nearly 90 percent of Bangladeshi migrants went to only five countries, with 67 percent (754,369 persons) migrating to Saudi Arabia alone. Remittance inflow showed a significant improvement in 2025, reaching USD 32.82 billion.

The report also highlighted that for the first time in 2025, initiatives were taken to enable Bangladeshi migrants to vote from abroad. By 31 December 2025, a total of 1,118,344 migrants had registered for postal voting. However, the allocation for the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment was reduced to BDT 855 crore from BDT 1,140 crore in the previous fiscal year. Despite the White Paper on the Economy recommending an increase of budget allocation for the migration sector from 0.08 percent to 1 percent.

The event was also attended by Marina Sultana, Programme Director, RMMRU; Rabeya Nasrin, Project Manager; Parvez Alam, Senior IT and Communication Officer; Mahmudul Hasan, Legal Officer; and Dr. Mohammad Rashed Alam, Faculty Member, University of Dhaka.