Migration from Bangladesh takes place in 175 countries, but 94 per cent of overseas employment is concentrated in seven countries in the Middle East, Singapore, and Malaysia. The sector and skills level are also confined to the lower category of occupations. Sufficient studies on the demand of skilled workforce or promotional approaches for placement in employment have not been conducted by the concerned departments. But it is clear that demand for skilled workforce is prevailing worldwide, which needs proper addressing to meet with competent and skillful human resources in the relevant field.
The Talent Partnership program between Bangladesh and the European Union was initiated to foster safe, legal, and mutually beneficial labour mobility to different destinations in Europe.
Main features of this partnership
1) Safe and Legal Pathways: Creates secure, transparent, and documented migration routes from Bangladesh to EU member states to help prevent irregular migration.
2) Skills Development and Upskilling: Prepares and trains Bangladeshi workers to meet specific technical and quality standards required by the European labour market.
3) Sectors of Mutual Interest: Targets key shortage areas identified jointly by the EU and Bangladesh, such as ICT, construction, textiles, shipbuilding, agriculture, hospitality, and potential future fields like nursing and caregiving.
4) Fair Recruitment Practices: Promotes ethical recruitment, decent work conditions, and lower migration costs while cracking down on fraudulent agents and exploitation.
5) The 'Triple Win' Approach: Delivers practical benefits for all groups involved, including filling critical labour shortages in EU member states, increasing stable remittances and development for Bangladesh, and offering safe, dignified employment for migrant workers.
6) Institutional Strengthening: Upgrades local training infrastructure and enhances job-matching platforms (like strengthening the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment portal) to connect skilled candidates with international employers.
As of June 2026, around 700 Bangladeshi workers have received final certification and clearance for legal migration to the European Union (mainly Italy) under the Supporting a Talent Partnership with Bangladesh project. European labour markets offer growing opportunities for Bangladeshi skilled workers, driven by severe workforce shortages and aging populations in EU nations.
There exists high demand of skilled workforce in specific sectors:
Construction & Infrastructure: Masons, and technicians.
Healthcare & Caregiving: Nursing, elder care, and hospital support.
Hospitality & Tourism: Hotels, restaurants, and catering services.
Agriculture & Food Processing: Seasonal and long-term farmhand positions, particularly in Southern Europe.
IT & Engineering: High-skilled professional tracks for tech experts and engineers.
Migration policies and legal pathways to destination countries are critical issues to promote employment in EU countries. Visa schemes include regularised work permits, seasonal worker quotas (such as Italy's Decreto Flussi), and the EU Blue Card for high-skilled professionals.
Key EU countries in this regard, mainly Italy, Germany, Romania, and Greece, actively recruit or have established bilateral labour roadmaps with Bangladesh. EU Talent Partnership program is adopted as an initiative backed by the European Union and managed locally via the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Bangladesh, focusing on standardising training, language acquisition, and safe migration.
In this regard, a few challenges are there which need to be seriously addressed to accrue the fruits of this enormous opportunity. These are mostly - 1) Skills and Qualification Mismatches: Local training often fails to match exact European technical standards or language requirements.
2) Exorbitant Migration Costs: High fees charged by illegal intermediaries create heavy financial burdens compared to low official visa fees.
3) Language Barriers: Lack of proficiency in destination languages (like German or Italian) remains a primary barrier to employment and legal protection.
In an important seminar held in the capital on 28 September 2026, Mr. Giuseppe Di Giovanni, Migration Expert, Embassy of Italy, explicitly expressed his opinion, saying that presently the best environment is prevailing to go to Italy on an employment visa through the legal process. But the potential youth from Bangladesh exploited by traffickers to go to Italy in risky and vulnerable illegal ways, spending Tk. 20-30 lacs. He said that Italy is going to recruit 1,50,000 skilled workers by next year and Bangladesh is on the list of countries of origin.
He reiterated that the visa fee for Italy is only 65 Euro, but the migration cost is exorbitantly high in Bangladesh. He expressed his concerns about the illegal migrants in Italy and mentioned that asylum seekers are abusing the legal process of migration
He urged all the concerned ministries, departments, and aspirant migrants to avail the opportunity of the Talent Partnership Program, which has been launched through a contract with Bangladesh in 2023. Through this program, more skilled and professionals can get employment in European countries.
*Nurul Islam is a former director at BMET.
#The opinions expressed here are the author's own.