Working in the Gulf from Bangladesh: BMET registration, licensed agencies, legal costs and where to get help

Who does what: the ministry, BMET, WEWB, BOESL and Probashi Kallyan Bank

Overseas employment is the business of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment. Four bodies work under it: the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), which licenses recruiting agents, registers workers and gives emigration clearance; the Wage Earners' Welfare Board (WEWB), which runs welfare services for migrant workers and their families; Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd (BOESL), the state-owned recruiter; and Probashi Kallyan Bank, the bank for migrants [1]. The governing law is the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act, 2013 (Act 48 of 2013), with its rules; the ministry's law page lists the 2025 rules for recruiting agents and sub-agents and the 2026 amending Act [2]. That Act, gazetted on 10 April 2026, added a general penalty of up to six months in prison, a fine of up to Tk 50,000, or both for any breach of the 2013 Act that has no penalty of its own, and repealed an ordinance of 2024 [5]. Since December 2024 BMET processes job demands that a Bangladesh mission abroad has attested, or, where a mission has not attested one, a demand the government has approved [6]. Saudi Arabia is by far the largest destination: BMET told Arab News that more than 750,000 Bangladeshis went there for work in 2025, out of more than 1.1 million who went abroad that year [17].

• BMET's Overseas Employment Platform has separate portals for employers, missions, agencies, aspirant migrants and training, and counted 20,775 verified overseas employers on 18 October 2026 [10].
• Bangladesh missions abroad have labour welfare wings staffed through the ministry, as its notice of 28 September 2026 shows; ask the wing at your embassy or consulate for help once you are working [9].
• BAIRA, the association of recruiting agencies, is a trade body, not a regulator; on 17 October 2026 its website named a Ministry of Commerce official as its administrator [12].

BMET registration and emigration clearance: how the smart card works

Everything starts on BMET's Overseas Employment Platform, where aspirant migrants register and where emigration clearance is applied for and approved; by its own counter, 4,097,043 people had applied for clearance and 3,936,661 had been approved by 18 October 2026 [10]. The job itself should come through a licensed recruiting agent working on a demand letter that a Bangladesh mission has attested [6]. When it selects you, the rules make the agency do several things: have your medical test done at a government-approved medical centre, make sure your skills and documents meet the requirements, give you the original job contract with a Bangla translation and explain every clause before you take BMET clearance, and make sure you have done the pre-departure training and briefing [3]. Emigration clearance is what most people call the BMET card or smart card. The card used to cost Tk 500 and is now issued free to outgoing workers [13], and the platform has download pages for the employee card and for your pre-departure orientation (PDO) certificate [10]. When you get clearance you pay the Tk 5,500 welfare fee and the Tk 1,000 insurance fee [7], [13]. Clearance used to be given only at BMET's head office in Dhaka; the 2025-26 budget said it would start in six districts and spread to all districts in phases [14].

• Keep copies of the attested demand letter, your contract and its Bangla translation, your clearance card and every receipt [3].
• If you already work abroad, the welfare fee can also be paid there or at the airport; the September 2026 circular covers workers going abroad, those already abroad and payments taken at airports [7].
• BMET's platform hotline is 09614445271 [10].

Check the recruiting agency yourself

Only a recruiting agent licensed under the 2013 Act may recruit for jobs abroad, and every licence has an RL number. BMET publishes the full list on its Overseas Employment Platform with each agency's RL number, address, phone, licence status and validity date [11]. When we checked on 17 October 2026 the list held 2,862 agencies: 2,197 Active, 263 Expired, 235 Cancelled and 161 Suspended [11]. Deal only with one whose status is Active and whose validity date has not passed. The 2025 rules require each agency to keep a signboard with its name, address and licence number at its office, to show in writing the government-fixed migration cost and the monthly wage for each country it recruits for, and to publish its registered sub-agents on its own website [3]. An agency may recruit only through sub-agents registered with BMET, or from BMET's own database or by itself [3]. A registered sub-agent must run an office with a signboard showing his name, registration number, the agency's name and licence number, his address and phone, and must display his registration certificate inside [3]. Since January 2026 one agency may process workers as an associate recruiter for another, but you must then have a contract with the associate recruiter, and both share liability [4]. Licences are cancelled in practice: in July 2026 the ministry revoked 49 licences under section 13 of the 2013 Act after courts accepted charge sheets against the agencies [19].

• The agency's RL number is on BMET's list, its status is Active and its validity date is in the future [11].
• The person you deal with is the agency itself or a registered sub-agent who shows his registration certificate and the agency's licence number [3].
• The agency's office displays the government-fixed migration cost and wage for your destination [3].
• BAIRA's member search is a useful second check, but membership of a trade body is not a licence [12].
• If an agency's licence is suspended, its sub-agents must also stop all recruitment [3].

Costs: what the rules allow

The government fixes a maximum migration cost for each destination country. Under rule 11 of the 2025 recruiting agent rules, an agency may not collect or demand any money above that figure, must take what it does collect through a bank or against a receipt, and must post the figure for each country in its office [3]. On top of that cost you pay two government dues: the Wage Earners' Welfare Board welfare fee, raised from Tk 3,500 to Tk 5,500 by a ministry circular of 20 September 2026 with effect from 1 October 2026, and an insurance fee of Tk 1,000 [7], [13]. The smart card itself is free [13]. If your trade needs a Saudi skills test, its fee is extra: a ministry official said in November 2025 that the Takamol test cost USD 50, with another USD 50 for a retake [16]. Breaking the cost rules has consequences: an agency with a proven record of overcharging can be refused renewal of its licence [3], and since April 2026 any breach of the Act without its own penalty can bring up to six months in prison or a fine of up to Tk 50,000 [5]. Gulf law is stricter still on who pays to recruit you [20], [21], [22].

• The UAE says the employer pays recruitment costs, Article 40 of Saudi Arabia's Labor Law puts recruitment, iqama and work permit fees on the employer, and Qatar bars licensed recruiters from charging workers [20], [21], [22].
• Pay into the agency's bank account or against a signed receipt, never in cash to a middleman [3].
• A registered sub-agent lodges a Tk 300,000 deposit with the agency; if his wrongdoing in your migration is proven, you can be compensated from it [3].
• We do not print the per-country cost ceilings because we could not open the current notification. Ask to see the figure posted in the agency's office and confirm it with BMET before you pay [3].

Wage Earners' Welfare Board and Probashi Kallyan Bank

The welfare fee you pay at clearance goes to the Wage Earners' Welfare Board, one of the four bodies under the ministry [1], [7]. According to the Board as reported by bdnews24 in September 2026, if a registered worker dies abroad the family receives Tk 35,000 for transport and burial once the body arrives at Dhaka, Chattogram or Sylhet airport and the papers are checked, and a one-time grant of Tk 300,000; the Board also gives medical help to sick workers and scholarships to their children, and keeps a database of migrant workers [13]. The ministry invited applications for scholarships for migrant workers' children on 17 October 2026 [9]. Probashi Kallyan Bank lends to people going abroad: the state minister told parliament on 8 June 2026 that a worker can borrow up to Tk 300,000 without collateral at 8% simple interest with one guarantor, that the government is considering a Tk 500,000 ceiling, and that there is no interest-free scheme [15].

• Keep the welfare fee receipt: it is your proof of registration with the Board [13].
• Probashi Kallyan Bank's website did not open for us, so ask a branch for the current loan terms before you rely on them.

Pre-departure training and skills tests

The rules make the recruiting agency ensure that every worker it selects has had pre-departure training and a briefing [3]. For most workers this is BMET's pre-departure orientation (PDO), which a Daily Star editorial described in April 2024 as a mandatory three-day course, adding that there is a two-month housekeeping course for women workers that includes a unit on Arabic [18]. You can download your PDO certificate and PDO enrolment card from BMET's platform with your passport number [10]. Agencies must also select workers who are technically skilled and physically fit, and at least 10% of the workers an agency sends must hold a Bangladesh National Qualifications Framework level or equivalent [3]. For Saudi Arabia, a Takamol official said in November 2025 that the skill verification certificate is now mandatory for sending workers [16]. BMET says more than a third of the workers who went to Saudi Arabia in 2025 did so under the Skill Verification Program, and that 28 Saudi-approved centres in Bangladesh can now test about 60,000 workers a month [17].

• Training is about your rights and safety, not just a form: use it to ask about your contract, wages and where to complain.
• If an agent offers to sell you a PDO or Takamol certificate without the course or test, walk away; both can be checked online [10], [16].

Country notes: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain

Saudi Arabia: the largest destination by far, with more than 750,000 Bangladeshis going there for work in 2025 and about 628,000 in 2024; in October 2025 the two governments signed a new employment agreement covering worker protection, wage payment, welfare and health services [17]. Many trades need the Takamol skills certificate first [16]. Article 40 of the Saudi Labor Law puts recruitment, iqama and work permit fees and the return ticket on the employer [21], and domestic workers file complaints through Musaned [26]. UAE: a real job offer is an offer letter issued through MOHRE that you can check by its reference number, and working on a visit or tourist visa leads to fines and legal liability [20]. Qatar: licensed recruiters may not charge workers any recruitment fee [22], and the Ministry of Labour's complaints platform also takes complaints against registered recruitment agencies [27]. Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain: we did not find an official Bangladeshi source specific to these countries that we could open, so we give only their labour complaint channels in the section below. In every country the labour welfare wing of the Bangladesh mission is the first place to ask for help [9].

• Bangladesh mission websites did not open for us, so we do not print embassy or labour wing phone numbers; get them from the Probash Bondhu call centre on 16135 [1].
• Our scam alerts for each Gulf country and our CV format guides for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman are linked below, as are the guides for Pakistani, Indian and Filipino workers.

Warning signs of illegal recruitment

These signs come from the 2025 recruiting agent rules and from official Gulf warnings. One alone does not prove fraud, but each is a reason to stop and check the agency on BMET's list before you hand over money or your passport.

• The recruiter will not give an RL number, or the number is not Active on BMET's list [11].
• You are told to travel on a visit, tourist, study or Umrah visa and switch to a work visa later; the rules forbid agencies to use these visas for jobs [3], [20].
• Someone offers a fake visa or a share of a 'group visa', or a visa that cannot be matched to an attested demand letter [3], [6].
• You are asked to pay more than the posted government cost, in cash or without a receipt [3].
• The middleman cannot show a sub-agent registration certificate and the agency's licence number [3].
• You are pushed to fly before you have seen your contract in Bangla, done the PDO or received your BMET clearance [3], [10].
• The offer promises a high salary with no interview or document checks, or demands urgent payment [20].

Where to complain in Bangladesh

The ministry's Probash Bondhu call centre takes calls on 16135, toll-free inside Bangladesh, and on +88 09610 102 030 from abroad [1]. In September 2026 the ministry set up a Complaint Settlement and Redress Cell for Bangladeshis abroad; problems and complaints can be emailed to minister.expat@gmail.com, and the ministry says complaints received are placed daily and weekly before the minister and the secretary [8]. The ministry website also links to the government's online grievance system at grs.gov.bd, and lists the national legal aid helpline 16699 and the emergency number 999 [1]. BMET's Overseas Employment Platform has its own hotline, 09614445271 [10]. Complaints about a sub-agent matter: BMET can suspend or cancel a sub-agent's registration when a complaint by a migrant, a relative or a well-wisher is proven, and the government can suspend it at once in a serious case [3]. The 2025-26 budget promised a digital system for cheated workers' complaints and the decentralisation of alternative dispute resolution to the districts, with complaint management cells [14]. If you were defrauded, also file a case at your local police station, and keep every receipt, chat and bank record.

• Probash Bondhu call centre: 16135 in Bangladesh, +88 09610 102 030 from abroad [1].
• Ministry complaint cell: minister.expat@gmail.com [8].
• BMET platform hotline: 09614445271 [10].
• Government grievance system: grs.gov.bd; legal aid 16699; emergency 999 [1].

You can also complain in the country where you work

Bangladesh's offices are not the only place to complain. If an employer in the Gulf does not pay you, changes your contract, keeps your passport or makes you pay for your job, you can file a complaint with the labour ministry of the country where you work, even as a foreign worker, and you can report fraud or threats to that country's police. Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain list their labour complaint services as free on their official pages [25], [31], [34]. These channels are used: Qatar's Ministry of Labour registered 5,369 worker complaints against companies in the first quarter of 2026 [29]. Before you file, gather copies of your passport and visa or work permit, your BMET clearance card, the contract you signed in Bangladesh and any contract you were given on arrival, payslips or bank statements, receipts for any fees you paid, and your chats and call logs with the employer or recruiter. Watch the time limits: Saudi Arabia's settlement service asks for the complaint within 12 months [25]. The labour welfare wing at the Bangladesh mission can help you prepare and follow up the complaint, but the decision is made by the host country's authorities, and you can use both at the same time.

• UAE: the MOHRE app or website, or the Labour Claims and Advisory Centre on toll-free 80084. MOHRE also takes reports of forced labour and human trafficking [23], [24].
• Saudi Arabia: HRSD's amicable settlement service, through Qiwa, the HRSD website or the unified number 19911; domestic workers file through Musaned [25], [26].
• Qatar: the Ministry of Labour's Unified Complaints and Disputes Platform, which also takes complaints against registered recruitment agencies, or info@mol.gov.qa; 16505 for fraud or requests for unofficial payments [27], [28], [30].
• Oman: the Ministry of Labour's free labour complaints e-service, which also allows a group complaint, or its call centre 80077000 [31].
• Kuwait: the Public Authority for Manpower, through the Labour Relations unit that holds the company's file or the As'hal Manpower service; violations can be reported confidentially through Report Me in the Sahel app, and the authority runs shelters for migrant workers [32], [33].
• Bahrain: the Ministry of Labour's complaints service in person, on 17873637 or 17873919, or online, for workers with a valid work permit; for exploitation or trafficking, the LMRA hotline 995 [34], [35].

What we could not confirm

We only use sources we could open. The websites of BMET, the Wage Earners' Welfare Board, BOESL, Probashi Kallyan Bank, the Bangladesh laws portal and the Bangladesh missions in the Gulf did not respond to our checks, while the ministry's website and BMET's Overseas Employment Platform did. For the law we used the Act, rules and amendments as printed in the Bangladesh Gazette and hosted by the ministry; for the Board's benefits, the bank's loan terms, the smart card fee, the insurance fee and the Saudi skills test we cite news reports that name the official who gave the figure. We did not find the current government notification of maximum migration costs for each Gulf country; the most recent figures we saw were in a 2019 newspaper report without the notification's date, so we left them out. We also could not open the full English text of the 2013 Act, so we do not quote its section-by-section penalties, and we found no official source we could open on the minimum age for women domestic workers or on whether migration to Saudi Arabia is still free for them. Our count of agencies by status is our own tally of BMET's list on 17 October 2026 (six entries had another status), and the platform's counters change daily. For the channels in the section on complaining where you work, we used the UAE government portal, HRSD's service page, and the Oman and Bahrain labour ministry websites, which did open; for Qatar's Ministry of Labour, Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpower and Bahrain's LMRA we relied on an ILO leaflet and on newspaper reports that quote those bodies.