The coronavirus pandemic is set to deal a heavy blow to the country’s overseas job market and the remittance flow as a large number of Bangladeshi migrants have already lost their jobs or were receiving low wages amid shutdowns enforced to contain the contagion. After different businesses were closed following the shutdown, the documented workers are being provided with basic wages, but the undocumented ones are getting nothing at all. Working hours of many, including in cleaning jobs and those at grocery stores, have also been slashed. On the other hand, thousands of Bangladeshi migrants who came home on leave and those who were waiting to fly after securing work visas are not being able to join work abroad as the destination countries have imposed travel bans in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.
Remittance from expatriates is one of the main pillars of the Bangladesh economy. About one crore Bangladeshi migrants sent home $18.35 billion in remittance last year alone. The Gulf and Southeast Asian countries, though less affected than Western countries, are also enforcing shutdowns to stop the transmission of Covid-19. In March, Bangladeshi expatriates sent home around $1.29 billion in remittance, which is 12.84 percent less than that of February and the lowest in 15 months. The countries which receive foreign workers had already allocated a significant portion of their budget for the recovery of their economy. It means development activities in those countries will be cut and demand for foreign workers will drop. Now with the coronavirus pandemic, things are turning very different. There is no guarantee when the migrants, who have returned home, can go back to work. Even, those who are already in those countries may face job cuts given the looming economic recession. Many migrant workers could already be infected with the coronavirus.
So, the Bangladesh government must ensure that they get proper healthcare. Those who have lost jobs must be ensured financial protection. Vulnerable families, who depend on migrant remittances, should be identified and provided with social protection by the government.
