International Migration from Northeastern Bangladesh: Socio-economic and Cultural Characteristics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58885/ijssh.v11i1.32hr%20Keywords:
International migration, Socio-economic status, Folksong, Remittances, Poverty.Abstract
This study attempts to assess the impact of international migration on the socio-economic status of rural households in the northeastern part of Bangladesh. The data has been collected from the Sylhet, Moulvibazar, and Habiganj districts. This study used a descriptive research design and found that international migration positively contributes to the development of rural households in Bangladesh. Their socio-economic indicators, such as household income, expenditure, land possession, nonproductive assets, housing status, water and sanitation facilities, and healthcare facilities, are improved in comparison to the same factors before migration. There is the impact of traditional cultural components such as folksong and folk rhyme on international migration. In other words, international migration contributes to the improvement of rural households’ socio-economic status in Bangladesh.
References
Sikder, M.J.U., Higgins, V., & Ballis, P.H. (2017). The remittance income and social resilience among migrant households in Bangladesh. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 1–214. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-64897-8
Afsar, R. (2003). International migration and development nexus: The case of Bangladesh. Paper presented at the Regional Conference on Migration and Pro-Poor Policy Choices in Asia, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1–9.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08d16e5274a31e0001632/WP-CP2.pdf.
Begum, A. (1999). Destination Dhaka: Urban migration—expectations and reality. Dhaka, Bangladesh: The University Press Limited.
https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1130000795542599424.
Chowdhury, A. H. (2003). Sreehotter Sreemukh. Rajshahi, Bangladesh: University of Rajshahi.
Farhana, D.K.M., Rahman, S.A., & Rahman, M. (2012). Factors of migration in urban Bangladesh: An empirical study of poor migrants in Rajshahi city. SSRN Working Paper No. 2517201. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2517201.
Farid, M., et al. (2009). Trends in international migration and remittance flows: Case of Bangladesh. Journal of Bangladesh Agricultural University, 7(2), 387–394. http://dx.doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.208448.
Haider, S.K. (2010). Factors of migration on urban Bangladesh: An empirical study of poor migrants in Rajshahi city. Pakistan Journal of Sociology, 30(2), 307–321. http://pjss.bzu.edu.pk/index.php/pjss/article/download/77/66.
Hasan, S.B., Akhter, R., Abbasi, A.A.A., & Saha, S. (2019). Impact of remittance on economic growth in Bangladesh. American Journal of Trade and Policy, 6, 41–48. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340139118_Impact_of_Remittance_on_Economic_Growth_in_Bangladesh.
International Organization for Migration (IOM). (2011). Glossary on migration (2nd ed., International Migration Law No. 25). Geneva: International Organization for Migration.
Islam, M. M. (2007). Role of RDRS on poverty alleviation and women empowerment in some selected areas of Lalmonirhat district. Thesis, Master of Science in Rural Sociology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 1–10.
Kainth, G. S. (2009). Push–pull factors of migration: A case of the brick kiln industry of Punjab State. Asian-Specific Journal of Social Sciences, 1(1). https://www.academia.edu/download/31044643/6_Gurusharan_Sing.pdf.
Lipton, M. (1980). Migration from rural areas of poor countries: The impact on rural productivity and income distribution. World Development, 8(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(80)90047-9.
Mahmud, T. (1997). Migration, identity, and the colonial encounter. Oregon Law Review, 76, 633–659.
Morve, R.K. (2014). Contextualising power politics of Tamasha art and female suffering in Dalit autobiography. Asian Journal of Humanity, Art and Literature (AJHAL), 1(2), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.18034/ajhal.v1i2.
Rahman, Md. (2018). Application and prospect of folklore elements in social development. 4, 249–261.
Rahman, M.H., & Rahman, M.M. (2025). Folklore as intellectual property: Policy, legal prospects, and the urgency of developing a national folklore register for Bangladesh (SSRN Working Paper No. 5383087). SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5383087
Rahman, M. H., Md. Mobashir Rahman, & Imroze Asif Khan. (2025). Indigenous Water Symbolism and Management: A Comparative Study on Ecologies of Rain and Intellectual Appropriation in Bangladesh, India, the US, and Germany. HISTORICAL: Journal of History and Social Sciences, 4(3), 339–361. https://doi.org/10.58355/historical.v4i3.202
Islam, M.A., Khatun, M.B., & Rahman, M.H. (2025). Visualization of Scopus and WoS data (2000–2024) on forced, child, and contract marriage: A bibliometric analysis. SN Social Sciences, 5, Article 146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-025-01180-z
Rahman, Md., & Montclare, D. (2021). Comparative indigenous folklore theory for liberation and environmental justice. 25, 21–34.
Rashid, S. (2011). Anthropology of migration: Concept, theories and Bangladesh perspective. Green University Review, 2(1), 83–100.
Rokib, A., & Islam, R. (2009). Effects of some selected socio-demographic variables on male migrants in Bangladesh. Current Research Journal of Economic Theory, 1(1), 10–14. https://www.airitilibrary.com/Publication/alDetailedMesh?docid=2042485X-200909-201008160022-201008160022-10-14.
Sharma, M., & Zaman, H. (2009). Who migrates overseas and is it worth their while? An assessment of household survey data from Bangladesh. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 5018, 1–42. https://ssrn.com/abstract=1457601.
Siddique, T. (2003). Migration as a livelihood strategy of the poor: The Bangladesh case. Paper presented at the Regional Conference on Migration and Pro-Poor Policy Choices in Asia, 1–18. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08d16ed915d3cfd0017e2/WP-C1.pdf.
Sikder, M.J.U., Higgins, V., & Ballis, P.H. (2017). The remittance income and social resilience among migrant households in Bangladesh. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 1–214.
World Bank. (2012). World Bank annual report 2012: International migration. Washington, DC: World Bank, 57(4). https://doi.org/10.1596/978-0-8213-9568-4.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
