Nearly ten million Bangladeshi citizens live and work in various countries around the world, making Bangladesh the sixth largest source country for international migrants globally (IOM, 2025).
According to Bangladesh Bank, repatriates sent US$35.56 billion through legal channels for the fiscal year 2025-26, the highest in the country’s history and 17.3 percent more than the previous fiscal year. According to the World Bank, Bangladesh is currently the world’s eighth largest remittance receiving country.
Overseas income is one of the main pillars of Bangladesh’s economy. The contribution of migrant workers in areas such as foreign exchange reserves, import expenditure, rural economy and livelihood of millions of families is undeniable. Therefore, they are called “dispatch warriors”. ”The state respects their contribution and reflects the money they send in its development statistics.
But how much of the story of the person behind these numbers has been told? Every dollar earned in harsh conditions like scorching deserts, dusty construction sites, or long shifts in factories is associated with isolation, loneliness, mental stress, and many personal sacrifices.
We count the amount of remittances, but rarely calculate the human cost behind it. The true story of migration is not just about the economy; It is also about people’s lives, relationships and sacrifices.
human cost below remittance
In international migration research, an important concept is the “social cost of migration”. Migration does not just increase income; It has a profound impact on family, social relationships, gender roles, child-rearing and mental health. Migration researcher Hein de Haas has shown that migration cannot be seen solely as a development success or crisis; This is the reality of both opportunities and sacrifice.
Similarly, Stephen Cassels believes that migration does not just mean the movement of a person from one country to another; It changes relationships with family, society, culture and state.
This social cost is still limited in discussions in Bangladesh. We keep track of remittances but rarely consider the degradation, isolation and mental stress experienced by the people behind that money.
The cruelest aspect of this reality is reflected in the statistics of migrant deaths. According to the Wage Earners Welfare Board, bodies of 4,813 Bangladeshi migrant workers returned from abroad in 2024, the highest on record.
Between 2015 and 2024, the bodies of approximately 38,000 migrant workers were brought back, the majority of whom were young workers under the age of 40. These figures remind us that the real cost of migration is not just in remittances, but also in life, health, relationships and dignity.
Behind the astonishing remittance figures lie countless silent cries, countless unfulfilled dreams and countless stories of broken relationships. As part of recent sociological research, through conversations with expatriate Bangladeshis, I have learned about some challenging aspects of their personal, family and social lives, which I present below.
When distance changes relationships
One of the most challenging realities of migrant life is prolonged family separation. Many migrant workers remain away from their families for 5, 7, or 10 years; For many people, it is not possible to return home on leave once a year. This extended absence gradually alters the emotional bonds of the family.
Children grow up without their fathers, wives take on most of the household responsibilities alone, and sons are available only on phone when elderly parents are sick. Important moments of life can be seen on video call but cannot be felt by touch.
Many families handle this reality with extraordinary resilience. However, in some cases, prolonged separation, lack of communication, mental loneliness and social pressure weaken relationships. Mistrust arises in marriages, interference from third parties occurs and sometimes new relationships emerge.
Viewing these events solely as personal or moral failures may obscure reality. They are often the cumulative result of the migrant worker’s prolonged absence, mental stress, poor communication and lack of social support, which sometimes leaves the family vulnerable.
When a father becomes just a means of earning money
Sociologists have long said that a father’s presence is as important for a child’s healthy development as money. But many migrant fathers have children who grow up without close proximity to their fathers. They know that their father sends money, but no daily connection, memory or emotional bond is formed with him.
As a result, for many people, the father gradually becomes more of a source of wealth than a guardian. The children know very little about their father’s hardships, sacrifices and struggles. They become angry if a demand is not met, yet they do not understand how hard their father works every day to earn that money.
Even if it is possible to send regular money, it is not possible to be with the child during the first day of school, sleepless nights due to illness, teenage crisis or important life moments. This absence gradually changes the language of the relationship – many children love their fathers but do not really know them.
This emotional distance also affects the family. The direct role of the father in the child’s education, moral education, friendship and social behavior becomes limited. As a result, in many cases the practice of discipline, guidance and values becomes weak. So, it is not just a family issue; This is a social reality that can have long-term effects on the mental and moral development of future generations.
burdened with endless expectations
In Bangladesh, many people still consider abroad a place of unlimited wealth. Therefore, a family’s expectations from a migrant worker’s income are infinite – building a house, buying land, investing in business, children’s education, treatment of a relative, or wedding expenses – all this seems to be his sole responsibility. But the reality is something else.
Most migrant workers live a difficult life with limited income. Many people live together in small rooms, work long hours in harsh weather, and reduce their needs to send more money to their families. Sometimes their own treatment, nutritious food or even adequate rest remains beyond reach. Losing a job abroad, having a salary delayed or falling ill is also part of their reality.
The problem begins when love and responsibility turn into a sense of entitlement. Migrants send money with dreams of building a future for their families, but in many cases that money is seen not as an expression of love but as an obligatory duty. As a result, any delay leads to complaints, resentment or pressure, but few people think – perhaps there was less work that month, the salary was delayed, or he himself was ill. Therefore, excessive expectations create not only economic but also deep mental stress on an expatriate.
We should ask ourselves a question – how much are we taking from the migrants and how much are we giving back to them? A migrant is not just a source of remittances; He is a human being. Just as their labor has value, so too do their feelings, relationships and lives. We have counted remittances for years; Now, it’s time to hold the person behind the remittance to account. Because the real wealth of a country is not foreign currency – it is its people.
Disputes regarding property as well as money also increase.
A large part of remittances is invested in buying land or building houses. But the biggest weakness of that property is that its owner is often not in the country. In the absence of the owner, many issues arise – land encroachment, forgery of documents, boundary disputes, inheritance disputes and lawsuits with relatives. The saddest fact is that often the rival is not a stranger, but a close relative. Sometimes it’s a brother, sometimes an uncle or cousin, sometimes a distant relative – those most trusted end up getting embroiled in legal battles.
An expatriate then fights two battles simultaneously – one in the workplace abroad, the other in the courts of his birthplace. It is incredibly difficult to manage court cases from abroad, maintain contact with lawyers or seek assistance from the local administration. As a result, there is uncertainty about the property purchased with years of hard-earned money. Many expatriates return home to find that the land for which they spent the most beautiful time of their lives abroad has now become a source of family hostility.
invisible mental stress
We rarely talk about the mental health of migrant workers. Many migrants are unable to tell their problems to anyone. They don’t want to worry about their families, and there is no scope to express personal crises at work. Prolonged solitude, family problems, worries about children’s future, property disputes and social isolation push many people into deep depression. Some people are unable to express their pain to anyone for years because they believe that because they are abroad, they will be fine. Gradually, anxiety, depression, insomnia, low self-esteem, or feelings of isolation become their constant companions.
In fact, many migrants work daily with mental distress. Deep depression is hidden behind their smile. Studies by the International Labor and Migration Organization have shown that rates of anxiety, chronic mental stress and social isolation among migrant workers are significantly higher than the general population. But it has not yet become the center of policy making in South Asian countries.
Where is the solution?
Deporting a person abroad is not the end of the state’s responsibility; This is rather the beginning. The contribution of migrants to the development of Bangladesh will be truly meaningful when their family bonds, social status and mental well-being are protected along with remittances. The crisis of migrants is not just personal or familial; This is a national policy question. It is also the responsibility of the state to ensure family and social security of those whose contribution is so important in the country’s economy.
Therefore, it is important for pre-departure training for outbound workers to include language and professional skills as well as financial planning, family communication and mental well-being. Similarly, community-based awareness campaigns on financial awareness, marital relations, child rearing and shared responsibilities should be launched for families back home. Additionally, there is a need to strengthen quick resolution of property-related disputes, accessible legal aid, digital services and mental health services.
Ultimately, we must ask ourselves a question – how much are we taking from migrants, and how much are we giving back to them? A migrant is not just a source of remittances; He is a human being. Just as their labor has value, so too do their feelings, relationships and lives. We have counted remittances for years; Now, it’s time to hold the person behind the remittance to account. Because the real wealth of a country is not foreign currency – it is its people.
#Dr. Selim Reza is an Associate Professor and Coordinator, Center for Migration Studies, North South University
*The views expressed here are the author’s own.
#This article, which was originally published in Prothom Alo print and online editions, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam