Bangladesh requires ministry approval for worker deployment to Russia, 11 others

Bangladesh's labour authorities have introduced stricter controls on worker migration, requiring explicit approval from the competent ministry before citizens can be deployed to Russia and eleven other countries designated as restricted destinations.

The measure represents an effort to enhance government oversight of overseas employment placements and protect workers heading to nations where labour protections or safety conditions may be of concern. Previously, recruitment agencies operated with fewer restrictions when processing worker applications for these countries.

The policy targets nations where Bangladesh has identified challenges in monitoring worker welfare, ensuring workplace compliance, or maintaining diplomatic coordination on labour issues. By centralizing clearance authority at the ministry level, officials aim to vet both employer demands and worker suitability prior to deployment.

Recruitement agencies and prospective migrant workers will now face extended processing timelines as applications undergo ministerial review. The requirement applies to all placements regardless of worker skill level or employment sector.

The initiative is part of Bangladesh's broader strategy to regulate the estimated 10 million nationals working abroad, who collectively remit billions of dollars annually to the country. Earlier measures have included skills certification programmes and worker safety awareness campaigns targeting high-migration destinations.