The government's move to send 1,000 workers abroad from each upazila of the economically-backward districts per year is yet to see any visible progress.
Official statistics show a majority of workers are still going overseas from traditional source districts.
The decision on migration from less-advanced areas was made in 2019 to motivate the people's international movement for balanced development of all upazilas.
Insiders say the initiative to bring people from poverty pockets under employment opportunities in the international market is very important to help improve their economic condition.
They suggest that the government take a timely and workable strategy to implement the decision soon.
Data available with the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) shows 617,209 Bangladeshis found jobs in different job destination countries in 2021.
A majority of them went to Middle-Eastern countries.
Almost half of them were from 10 traditional source areas like Cumilla (64,586), Brahmanbaria (54,243), Chandpur (27,107), Noakhali (25,895), Tangail (25,213), Narsingdi (24,849), Chattogram (24,769), Dhaka (22,434), Lakkhipur (19,638) and Sylhet (16,496).
Workers' outflow from Bhola (4,782), Barguna (3,460), Chuadanga (2,678), Gaibandha (2,595), Khulna (2,149), Bagerhat (2,070), Joypurhat (1,981), Dinajpur (1,443), Kurigram (1,976), Thakurgaon (973), Nilphamari (842), Khagrachhari (659), Rangamati (418), Panchagarh (389), Lalmonirhat (399) and Bandarban (289) remained static.
The data collected this January-February also revealed the same scenario as only 659 workers from three hill districts have gone abroad with jobs while about 4,000 workers from north Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has sent 202,267 workers during the period in question, according to BMET statistics.
Sector insiders and migration experts say labour migration from Bangladesh mostly happens through the network of friends, relatives and families.
Such networks have been built in particular areas like Cumilla, Brahmanbaria and Chandpur since the early days of migration from Bangladesh.
Workers usually get information about job prospects from the networks at their village or respective upazilas. Relatives often send visa for the aspirants.
But a majority of the areas remain almost out of reach of such facilities. So, the youth from these regions generally get less opportunity to search jobs abroad.
Jasiya Khatoon, director of WARBE Development Foundation, says services should be available at the doorsteps of aspirants in backward areas.
She stresses that the government focus on such areas.
Training centres and branches of Probashi Kallyan Bank should be opened in those areas, Ms Jasiya cites.
BMET director general Md Shahidul Alam speaks about an uptick in the growth of overseas jobs in recent years. But proportionately, the outflow of workers has remained slow or stagnant from maximum source areas, including underdeveloped districts.
"We have a plan to take a crash programme in those areas to raise the volume of migration," Mr Alam says.
Services like migration loan, training and awareness would be accelerated to materialise the mission of sending 1,000 workers, he observes.
The BMET chief thinks experienced manpower recruiters can open local office in the lagging-behind regions to provide services to overseas job-searchers.
Each agency can have a certain quota to hire workers from less-advanced source areas, he adds.
Ali Haider Chowdhury, former secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, says, "It's tough to monitor activities of sub-agents. So, setting up regional offices won't be viable for manpower recruiters."
The government can bring people under the migration process through providing required facilities, he adds as he makes this observation to the FE.
According to the official count, more than 13-million Bangladeshi workers have gone abroad since 1976.
They annually remit an estimated $20 billion back home.
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