Remittance Rises, Services Lag

Orpi Ahmed: There is no need to elaborate on the contribution of expatriate Bangladeshis to the country’s economy. Remittances are one of Bangladesh’s major sources of foreign exchange. Every year, millions of Bangladeshis living abroad send substantial amounts of money to support their families, relatives and, ultimately, the country’s economy. These remittances not only help sustain the livelihoods of families back home but also play an important role in strengthening the country’s foreign exchange reserves and overall economy.

Recent statistics also highlight the strong flow of remittances. According to Bangladesh Bank data, the country received $18.94 billion in remittances during the six months from March to August 2026, compared with $16.74 billion during the same period a year earlier. This represents a 13.1 percent increase year-on-year.

Behind this achievement are millions of Bangladeshis working abroad. Expatriates in Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Malaysia and other countries continue to send money home regularly. During the March-August period alone, Bangladesh received approximately $1.72 billion in remittances from the United States.

The question, therefore, is this: How effectively is the state providing easy, timely and dignified services to the people who are making such a significant contribution to the country?

This question has become increasingly important because expatriate Bangladeshis depend on embassies and consulates for a wide range of services, including passports, national identity cards, birth registration, consular assistance and document attestation. For someone living abroad, even a minor complication in accessing a government service can turn into a major source of inconvenience.

The government has recently announced several positive initiatives in this regard. Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman told Parliament that improving passport and national identity card services for expatriate Bangladeshis—making them faster, easier, more transparent and technology-driven—is among the government’s top priorities. At Bangladesh missions where e-passport services have been introduced, applicants can submit applications online, schedule biometric enrollment at convenient times and track the progress of their applications.

This is certainly encouraging. But the reality on the ground is even more important.

At present, NID services are available at 27 Bangladesh missions in 17 countries. The government plans to gradually expand these services to 41 countries. This means that many Bangladeshis living abroad still do not have direct and convenient access to NID-related services.

Take the United States as an example. The Bangladesh Consulate General in New York provides online applications, appointments and biometric enrollment facilities for e-passports. Procedures for applying for NID services are also available. However, while new NID applications are accepted, NID correction applications are not processed at the consulate, according to information published on its website.

This brings us to the central question: Is providing a service the same as making that service accessible and convenient? If an expatriate has to visit an embassy or consulate repeatedly for a routine document, wait for long periods, or spend months waiting for coordination with a government office in Bangladesh, then how much of the promised benefit of digital services is actually reaching the people?

Consular services for expatriate Bangladeshis should not be viewed merely as an administrative responsibility. They should be treated as a matter of citizens’ rights and a responsibility of the state. When an expatriate represents Bangladesh abroad, contributes to the national economy and regularly sends foreign currency home, the relationship between the citizen and the state should not be limited to the moment when remittances are sent. When a passport expires, an NID contains an error, a birth certificate or another document is needed, or a citizen faces a legal or administrative difficulty, receiving assistance from the state should also be regarded as a right.

Another issue deserves attention. Services for expatriates cannot remain concentrated only around major cities where diplomatic missions are located. For Bangladeshis living across a geographically vast country like the United States, mobile consular camps can be an effective solution. If such services are organized more regularly and systematically across different states, many expatriates could avoid travelling long distances to reach a consulate.

The Bangladesh Consulate in Florida, for example, has also been issuing notices regarding consular tours. At the same time, the mechanism for resolving complaints needs to become more effective. The government has said that online complaint-management systems are in place at Bangladesh missions and that officials will be assigned to ensure the timely resolution of complaints.

If these initiatives are implemented effectively, they can strengthen the relationship between the state and its expatriate citizens. But the biggest requirement is a change in mindset. Expatriates should not be viewed merely as a source of remittances. They are Bangladeshi citizens, potential investors, members of families back home and important representatives of the country abroad.

The rise in remittances is undoubtedly good news for Bangladesh. But whether the quality of services provided to expatriate Bangladeshis is improving at the same pace is now an equally important question.

If Bangladesh wants to sustain and increase the flow of remittances, it must also maintain the confidence of its expatriate citizens. Trust is built not only through financial incentives, but also through timely services, transparency, dignity and accountability. As the country expects greater contributions from its expatriate citizens, the state must also take greater responsibility for ensuring better services for them.

An expatriate’s money is an asset to the country, but an expatriate’s trust is an equally valuable national asset. Protecting that trust should now be one of the state’s greatest responsibilities.

— Columnist, Elmhurst, New York