# Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment

The Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment (Bengali: প্রবাসী কল্যাণ ও বৈদেশিক কর্মসংস্থান মন্ত্রণালয়) is a ministry of the government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. It provided information, partnerships and facilitations for all matters related to overseas Bangladeshis and overseas employment. Overseas employment is very important in the socio-economic context of Bangladesh. Employment abroad not only reduces the country's unemployment, but also the remittances sent by expatriates working abroad keep the wheels of the country's economy moving. On 20 December 2001, the Government of Bangladesh established a separate Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment, giving increased importance to the field of foreign employment. The purpose of forming this ministry is to ensure the welfare of expatriate workers and expand foreign employment. The Ministry has been working to ensure the welfare of all migrant workers by increasing the flow of remittances and creating opportunities of securing overseas employment for workers from all regions of the country.

## Departments

* Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training
* Wage Earners' Welfare Board (WEWB)
* Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL)
* Probashi Kallyan Bank

## Ministers

| # | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| # | Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Birth-Death) | From | To | Period | Political party | Ministry | Prime Minister |
| 1 | | | Major (Retd.) Mohammad Quamrul Islam মেজর (অব.) মোহাম্মদ কামরুল ইসলাম MP for Dhaka-5 (State Minister) | 20 December 2001 | 9 July 2006 | 4 years, 201 days | Bangladesh Nationalist Party | Khaleda II | Khaleda Zia |
| 2 | | | Lutfor Rahman Khan Azad লুৎফর রহমান খান আজাদ MP for Tangail-3 (State Minister) | 9 July 2006 | 29 October 2006 | 112 days | Bangladesh Nationalist Party | Khaleda II | Khaleda Zia |
| 3 | | | Sufia Rahman সুফিয়া রহমান (Adviser) | 26 October 2006 | 11 January 2007 | 77 days | Independent | Iajuddin (Caretaker) | Iajuddin Ahmed (Chief Adviser) |
| 4 | | | Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury ইফতেখার আহমেদ চৌধুরী (born 1946) (Adviser) | 11 January 2007 | 6 January 2009 | 1 year, 361 days | Independent | Fakhruddin (Caretaker) | Fakhruddin Ahmed (Chief Adviser) |
| 5 | | | Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain খন্দকার মোশাররফ হোসেন (born 1942) MP for Faridpur-3 | 6 January 2009 | 9 July 2015 | 6 years, 184 days | Awami League | Hasina II | Sheikh Hasina |
| 5 | | | Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain খন্দকার মোশাররফ হোসেন (born 1942) MP for Faridpur-3 | 6 January 2009 | 9 July 2015 | 6 years, 184 days | Awami League | Hasina III | Sheikh Hasina |
| 6 | | | Nurul Islam Bsc নুরুল ইসলাম বিএসসি (born 1938) | 9 July 2015 | 7 January 2019 | 3 years, 182 days | Awami League | Hasina III | Sheikh Hasina |
| 7 | | | Imran Ahmad ইমরান আহমেদ (born 1948) MP for Sylhet-4 (State Minister until 12 July 2019) | 7 January 2019 | 10 January 2024 | 5 years, 3 days | Awami League | Hasina IV | Sheikh Hasina |
| 8 | | | Shafiqur Rahaman Chowdhury শফিকুর রহমান চৌধুরী (born 1957) MP for Sylhet-2 (State Minister) | 11 January 2024 | 6 August 2024 | 208 days | Awami League | Hasina V | Sheikh Hasina |
| 9 | | | Asif Nazrul আসিফ নজরুল (born 1966) (Adviser) | 16 August 2024 | Incumbent | 211 days | Independent | Yunus (Interim) | Muhammad Yunus (Chief Adviser) |