Bangladesh’s overseas employment rose by +4% in 2014 following initiatives by the government to increase foreign jobs, reports The Financial Express.

The number of overseas jobs stood at 425,684 in 2014 up from 409,253 in 2013, according to the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET). In 2013 most of the Bangladeshi workers went to Oman (105,748), Qatar (87,575) and Singapore (54,750).

However, a report of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) entitled “International Labour Migration from Bangladesh 2014: Achievements and Challenges”, claims that the country's overseas employment grew by only +1% in 2014, compared with 2013.

The RMMRU report attributed the rise in overseas employment to a greater outflow of female workers. It also said although the overall international labour migration increased last year, it was about -32% lower compared with 2012.

Workers spent money ranging from BDT 670,000 (USD 8,442) to BDT 1.6 million (USD 20,160) in migration costs to secure jobs in Saudi Arabia, the report also revealed.

Secretary to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Khandakar Iftekhar Haidar said the Ministry took new initiatives to increase manpower export last year that had a positive impact on the overall labour migration.

The country received remittance of USD 14.5 billion during the year to mid-December 2014.