Dhaka, May 22 -- Bangladesh has recently posted record-breaking remittance figures, a development typically celebrated by policymakers as a sign of economic resilience. But behind the numbers lies a growing concern: the sharp decline in the number of Bangladeshi workers heading abroad-the very engine that drives those remittance inflows.

A closer look at the data reveals a troubling paradox.

While expatriate income surged, the number of outbound migrant workers dropped by 22 percent over the past year, signalling deeper structural issues in Bangladesh's overseas employment strategy.

In March 2025, Bangladeshi migrants sent home $3.29 billion, the highest single-month remittance in the country's history, according to data from Banglades...