DHAKA — Bangladesh has increased the welfare fee charged to workers leaving the country for overseas employment from Tk 3,500 to Tk 5,500.
The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment announced the revised fee in a circular issued on Sunday, with the new rate set to take effect from October 1, as reported by The Financial Express.
The ministry said the increase was linked to the expansion of welfare services for expatriate workers, efforts to strengthen their protection and broader adjustments to reflect the market value of the US dollar.
The revised fee applies to workers going abroad, as well as relevant collections involving Bangladeshi workers already overseas or at airports.
Shariful Islam, deputy director of the Expatriate Welfare Desk at the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, confirmed that the new rate would come into force next month.
The welfare fee was originally set at Tk 3,500 in 2015.
Workers must also pay a separate Tk 1,000 insurance fee when completing the process for overseas employment.
Meanwhile, the BMET smart card, which previously cost Tk 500, is now issued to outbound workers free of charge.
Registered Bangladeshi migrant workers and their families are entitled to various forms of government assistance through the welfare fee and social protection system.
If a worker dies overseas, the family can receive Tk 35,000 to cover burial and transportation expenses after the body reaches an international airport in Dhaka, Chattogram or Sylhet and the required documents have been verified.
The deceased worker’s family is also eligible for a one-time financial assistance grant of Tk 300,000.
Other services funded through the system include medical assistance for migrant workers who fall ill overseas and educational stipends for their children.
The government also uses the welfare system to monitor expatriate workers and maintain their records through the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board’s database.
