The government has proposed a Taka 880 crore allocation for the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment in FY2026-27, alongside plans to launch a digital "Probashi Card" aimed at enhancing migrant welfare and remittance services.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury announced the allocation while presenting the national budget in Parliament today.

The proposed allocation is Tk 51 crore lower than the revised budget for FY2025-26, reflecting a continued focus on overseas employment expansion, migration governance and welfare services for Bangladeshi expatriates.

In his budget speech, the finance minister said the government is placing special emphasis on increasing overseas employment opportunities while ensuring the protection, welfare and rights of Bangladeshi migrant workers abroad.

Paying tribute to Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, he noted that Bangladesh's overseas manpower export programme was launched under his leadership, laying the foundation for one of the country's most important foreign exchange-earning sectors.

To diversify labour markets and create new employment opportunities abroad, the government has undertaken a series of initiatives, including facilitating overseas recruitment, providing easy-term migration loans, ensuring safer migration and strengthening governance in migration management.

A key announcement in the proposed budget was the introduction of a dedicated "Probashi Card", which will serve as a digital identity and service platform for Bangladeshi expatriate workers.

According to the finance minister, the card will contain workers' personal information, skills profiles and employment records. It will also be linked to banking payment gateways to enable faster, easier and more secure remittance transfers.

In addition, the Probashi Card will provide access to expatriate welfare services, insurance coverage, banking facilities and emergency support mechanisms.

The government plans to begin phased distribution of the card among expatriate Bangladeshis from FY2026-27 as part of broader efforts to modernise migrant services and strengthen engagement with overseas workers.

The initiative is expected to support the country's remittance sector, improve service delivery and enhance the overall welfare of millions of Bangladeshi expatriates contributing to the national economy.