Compared to Bangladesh's massive economy, Bhutan is merely a small state. According to recent World Bank data, while Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP) is nearly $456 billion, Bhutan’s GDP is only $3.58 billion. In other words, Bangladesh's economy is about 127 times larger than that of Bhutan. Yet recently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the BNP

government announced policy-level initiatives to send skilled and semi-skilled Bangladeshi workers to this small-economy country. According to State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir, Bangladeshi manpower will be supplied to Bhutan's proposed 'Gelephu Mindfulness City' project. However, analyzing the reality, policy rationale, and historical background behind this announcement reveals a dangerous conspiracy. Questions have arisen whether, under the guise of this cheap attempt to cover up domestic unemployment, a new human trafficking and trading syndicate is being birthed once again.

Bhutan’s total population is fewer than eight hundred thousand. No specific statistics or estimates have been released regarding how many workers are actually needed for the 'Gelephu City' or any specific infrastructure project in a small economy. Policy is being formed based merely on a preliminary press release from the foreign ministry's public relations officer, without any clear information regarding the actual demand for Bangladeshi workers in Bhutan's labor market or the conditions of their immigration policies. International relations analysts have raised questions about how the foreign policy of a responsible state can rely on such unprofessional and premature decisions.

A review of political and diplomatic history shows that during the tenure of the then-BNP government from 2001 to 2006, labor export was marked as one of the most disgraceful chapters in Bangladesh's history. At that time, under the pretext of sending workers to countries like Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Greece, and South Korea, precedents of unchecked plundering and fraud were set. The tears of thousands of victims, families stripped of everything, and the severe damage to Bangladesh's image in the international arena have not faded to this day. Document analysis reveals that human trafficking, visa fraud, and state-sponsored worker exploitation made up the vast majority of the labor export sector back then.

Now in 2026, after the BNP returned to power, allegations have surfaced that the same foreign ministry and old labor syndicates have become active once again. Deep suspicions have arisen whether a new international trap is being set to engage in visa trading and embezzle hundreds of millions of taka by peddling an imaginary dream of manpower export to a tiny country like Bhutan.

Currently, domestic economic crises and unemployment are skyrocketing. Millions of educated, able-bodied youths are living miserable lives due to a lack of employment. Failing to resolve the internal crises caused by a lack of new investment and the closure of industrial factories, the government is fabricating an unrealistic narrative of sending workers to Bhutan. Failing to create domestic employment and attempting to send workers to a micro-economy like Bhutan is no success; rather, it stands as clear evidence of the government's internal administrative and economic failure.

A nation's primary foreign policy priority should be to safeguard its image on the international stage and ensure the rights of its citizens. Before exporting manpower, it is mandatory to guarantee the destination country's labor laws, recruitment process transparency, minimum wage structures, and legal protections. However, an analysis of the BNP government's past and present operational methods shows a total absence of these policy preparations. If the Bhutan project is launched merely to line the pockets of syndicates and execute state-level political gimmicks by abandoning ethics and principles, it will push the lives of thousands of workers into extreme uncertainty and open yet another chapter of human trafficking.

Author: Sachin Bangali, Columnist and Political Analyst