Bangladesh urges Maldives to expand employment opportunities for migrant workers

The Government of Bangladesh has appealed to the Maldives to create additional employment opportunities for Bangladeshi migrant workers in the country.

The request was made during a meeting on Wednesday between Humayun Kabir, Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and Shiuneen Rasheed, the Maldivian Ambassador to Bangladesh.

According to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, Kabir highlighted the potential to expand the range of employment sectors available to Bangladeshi workers in the Maldives’ tourism-driven economy.

Approximately 100,000 Bangladeshi nationals are currently employed in the Maldives.

The Maldives Employment Act sets a statutory limit on the number of expatriate workers who may be employed from any single country. Given the significant number of Bangladeshi nationals already working in the Maldives, Maldivian authorities have introduced stricter measures governing the issuance of new visas to Bangladeshi general laborers. Despite this, the Bangladeshi government continues to pursue diplomatic avenues to secure an increase in the quota and expand employment opportunities for its citizens.

The meeting included comprehensive discussions on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest between the two countries. Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry stated that particular attention was given to strengthening cooperation in tourism, human resource development and investment. Bangladesh considers the Maldivian tourism sector, which serves as the foundation of the country’s economy, to offer considerable employment potential for its workforce.

Bangladeshi nationals represent the largest proportion of the Maldives’ foreign workforce. Senior officials from both countries have previously recognized their significant contribution to the development of the Maldivian economy. Although the two countries have entered into several labor-related agreements in the past, current efforts are focused on ensuring that employment takes place legally and under safe and secure working conditions.

Both sides also reiterated their commitment to further strengthening the longstanding friendly relations between the Maldives and Bangladesh. While Bangladeshi workers continue to make important contributions to the construction and public service sectors in the Maldives, Maldivian authorities are also implementing targeted measures to address challenges associated with undocumented migrants. The need for greater bilateral cooperation to address these issues has been emphasized on multiple occasions.

Following the meeting, further consultations between relevant ministries in both countries are expected to be held.