For workers
Leaving Bangladesh to work abroad: BMET, licensed agencies and your rights
What Bangladeshi law says for people going to work abroad: registration, licensed agencies, maximum costs, rights before and after departure, and how to reach Italy legally.
Who this is for
Bangladeshi citizens who want to work abroad, especially in Italy or the European Union, and the families who often pay or advance the costs. If you are already in Italy with a residence permit, the page on workers' rights in Italy (in Italian) is more useful.
In short
- Recruiting for work abroad requires a licence issued by the government. "Sub-agents" must be registered too.
- People leaving for work must register with BMET and receive clearance on an electronic card.
- The government may set a ceiling on migration costs; agencies undertake in writing not to exceed it.
- The law gives you clear rights: information, legal aid, compensation, return home.
- Bangladesh is among the countries with reserved quotas in Italy's 2026-2028 entry decree.
General information, not legal advice. Rules change and have exceptions. Always check the official text in the sources below and, for your own case, talk to a trade union, a qualified lawyer or the competent public authority.
The main law
The rules are in the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act, 2013 (Act No. 48 of 2013), amended in 2023 (Act No. 41 of 2023). The official text is in Bengali. [1] The responsible ministry is the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment. [3]
Licensed agencies and registered sub-agents
Nobody may carry out recruitment activities without a licence issued under the Act. To get one, the agency must also file an affidavit undertaking not to take more than the amount fixed by the government. [1]
Since the 2023 amendment, an agency may use sub-agents or representatives only if they are registered. Working as a sub-agent without registration is an offence. [1] To check an agency, use only official lists from the ministry or BMET. The agencies' association (BAIRA) is an industry body: it does not issue licences.
BMET registration and the electronic card
Anyone who wants to emigrate for work must register with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), stating their occupation. [1] Once the formalities are complete, BMET issues emigration clearance on an electronic card holding fingerprints and biometric data. [1] Information and services are on the BMET website. [2]
How much you can be charged
The Act allows the government to set, by order, the maximum cost of migration for overseas employment. [1] Ceilings vary by destination country and change over time: ask BMET for the current amount before paying.
Remember that the ceiling is a maximum. Under the ILO fair recruitment principles, workers should not pay recruitment fees or related costs. [8] In Italy, authorised or accredited agencies may not demand or receive any payment from the worker. [10] Bangladesh does not appear to have ratified ILO Convention No. 181 on private employment agencies. [7]
Your rights under the Act
- Before leaving, you have the right to be informed about the migration process, the contract, working conditions abroad and your legal rights. [1]
- Victims of migration-related fraud have the right to reasonable legal aid. [1]
- If you suffer harm because the Act or your contract was breached, you can bring a civil claim for compensation, in addition to a criminal complaint. [1]
- You have the right to return home and to receive help from Bangladesh's diplomatic mission. If you are in distress because of an agency's fault, the government can order the agency to pay for your return. [1]
- You can file a complaint with the government about fraud, money taken illegally or breach of contract. [1]
Offences include falsely promising a job abroad to take money, and withholding a worker's passport or documents without lawful reason. [1]
Welfare and financial services
The Wage Earners' Welfare Board, set up under a 2018 Act, runs welfare programmes for migrant workers and their families. [4] Probashi Kallyan Bank is a state bank dedicated to migrants, for example for migration and return loans. [5]
Social security
Bangladesh does not appear in the INPS list of non-EU states with a social security convention in force with Italy. [6] For what happens to contributions paid in Italy, ask a patronato (free advice centre) or INPS.
Legal routes to work in Italy
For a job as an employee, the Italian employer usually requests the work authorisation (nulla osta); with it you apply for a visa at the Italian embassy. The steps are on the page Working in Italy from outside the EU.
Italy's 2026-2028 entry decree (DPCM of 2 October 2025) reserves 25,000 entries per year, for non-seasonal employment, to citizens of countries with migration cooperation agreements with Italy. Bangladesh is on the list. [9] There are also separate quotas for domestic and care work: see the guide Working as a care assistant (in Italian). [9]
Checklist before you leave
- Check the agency's licence on the official ministry or BMET lists, not just on the agency's own website.
- If a local middleman is involved, ask for proof that they are registered as that agency's sub-agent.
- Do not pay anyone to "buy" an Italian nulla osta, visa or contract.
- If you pay anything, get a receipt with the agency's name, the amount and the date.
- Insist on a written contract with the employer, job, place, hours and gross pay.
- Complete BMET registration and keep your electronic card.
- Never hand your original passport to an intermediary.
- Read the guide Red flags in job ads (in Italian).