Bangladesh has launched a national digital platform to make migration safer and promote fair recruitment practices for its workers abroad. The Overseas Employment Platform (OEP) brings together all key actors in the labour migration process, including aspiring migrant workers, licensed recruitment agencies, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), employers, technical training centers, immigration authorities, and reintegration service providers.
The portal was developed by the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE) in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Government of Switzerland. Officials say it will improve transparency, reduce reliance on informal middlemen, enhance service delivery, and help lower the costs of migration for workers.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Asif Nazrul, Adviser to MoEWOE, called the platform “an important milestone for safe, transparent and efficient labour migration.” He emphasized the need to ensure migrant workers’ journeys are safe, protected, and dignified, adding that more features will be added over time to benefit workers, employers, and government agencies.
Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam highlighted the platform’s benefits for foreign policy, saying that clearer recruitment processes strengthen bilateral labour agreements and build trust with destination countries.
Max Tunon, country director of ILO Bangladesh, described the OEP as “a concrete step toward operationalizing fair recruitment principles,” noting that centralizing information will improve regulation of recruitment agencies and provide workers with verified, reliable guidance.
Switzerland’s Deputy Head of Mission Deipak Elmar stressed that technology alone cannot solve migration challenges, saying, “The success of this platform depends on how institutions, recruiting agencies, employers, and migrants engage with it.”
Dr. Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan added that the OEP marks “a new phase in managing labour migration,” promising continuous upgrades, stronger institutional coordination, and ongoing collaboration with partners.
The platform aims to help migrant workers plan their journeys with dignity, safety, and confidence, ensuring they receive support throughout the migration process.