Between January and June 2024, nearly 13,000 accountants from Bangladesh migrated for jobs abroad, highlighting a surge in demand for skilled professionals.

Accounting made it into the top 10 job categories for Bangladeshi migrants for the first time,  according to a press release by Ami Probashi, a government-approved platform assisting Bangladeshi migrant workers.

In total, over 5,00,000 Bangladeshis secured jobs overseas in this period, a slight decrease compared to the 6,17,576 migrants recorded by the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training in the same period last year.

Saudi Arabia emerged as the most popular destination, attracting around 2,50,000 Bangladeshi workers.

Malaysia followed with nearly 93,000 migrant workers, and Qatar ranked third with 39,517 workers, it said.

The report also showed a demand in the construction and manufacturing sectors, with 63,469 migrants in construction and 33,748 in factory work.

However, women's participation remained low at six percent, mostly as housekeepers, totaling 13,190 workers.

Dhaka led in migration numbers, with 121,520 workers going abroad, followed by Chattogram with 91,530. The period saw 183,274 individual visas issued, alongside 28,223 group visas.

Meanwhile, challenges like ensuring transparent, cost-effective, and expedited migration processes remain significant obstacles.