Russia plans to raise Bangladeshi worker intake to 1 lakh next year

Russia has agreed to work towards increasing the number of Bangladeshi workers in the country to 1,00,000 by next year following a proposal from Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman during his ongoing visit to Moscow.

According to an official statement from the foreign ministry issued today (9 June), Khalilur proposed raising labour recruitment from Bangladesh to 1,00,000 workers within the next year, and the Russian authorities agreed to work on the initiative expeditiously.

Currently, nearly 10,000 Bangladeshis are employed in Russia, with a significant number working in the shipbuilding industry, the statement adds.  

The issue was discussed during Dr Rahman’s three-day visit to Russia, which also focused on expanding bilateral trade and technological cooperation, with both sides expected to complete the necessary formalities for the expanded labour recruitment programme soon.

Meanwhile, a separate statement issued yesterday (8 June) mentioned that the two Foreign ministers discussed the recruitment of more manpower from Bangladesh for safe and secure jobs.

They stressed the need for an early concluding of all pending MoUs and agreements between Bangladesh and Russia including two agreements namely the readmission agreement and the human resource agreement.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman requested the safe repatriation of a number of Bangladeshis stranded in Russia, Foreign Minister Lavrov assured that his government would give the matter full consideration.

Talks on enhancing trade 

Both countries agreed that bilateral trade remains well below its potential, with Bangladesh highlighting opportunities to significantly increase exports to the Russian market, particularly readymade garments and pharmaceutical products.

The Russian side also welcomed Bangladesh’s proposal to send a business delegation in the coming weeks to explore opportunities for boosting trade and investment.

Both sides also agreed to deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence, including a Russian delegation visit on AI applications in agriculture and healthcare, as Russia expressed interest in assisting Bangladesh in formulating its national AI policy and establishing institutions of excellence in AI.