The wheels of Bangladesh’s economy are kept turning by the sweat and blood of expatriate workers. These migrant laborers endure the blistering heat of deserts, the isolation of forests, and the relentless grind of construction sites under inhumane working hours to send remittance back home. Through these remittances, they enrich the country's reserves, fill in the gaps in export revenue, and lay the foundation of dreams in households across rural Bangladesh. Yet, their stories rarely find space in national discourse; their daily deprivations seldom capture the attention of policymakers. When the nation faces a crisis in foreign currency reserves, migrant workers are hailed as the "saviors of the nation." But when they are oppressed, destitute, or dead on foreign soil, the state becomes conspicuously absent. Even when they return home, they often remain marginalized, without rights, subjected to social and economic neglect. This duplicity is not just political, it is a shameful reality of Bangladesh’s foreign economic structure. In the first nine months of the 2024–25 fiscal year alone, Bangladesh received nearly 18 billion dollars in remittance. This has provided much-needed relief to the country’s foreign reserves. Yet no one seems to care about the individuals behind these funds. This remittance-dependent economy is, in reality, a cruel system disguised in financial success , a system rich in money, but void of humanity. Migrant workers don’t just offer physical labor; they are torn from their families, lose social bonds, and endure unspeakable abuse. Many leave the country without proper documentation, falling into the traps set by illegal agents right at the start of their journey. On reaching their destination, they are often trapped in exploitative systems like the "Kafala" sponsorship, where access to medical care, payment of wages, or the freedom to return home depends entirely on the employer’s whims. When ill, they must bear the cost of treatment themselves. Legal protection is virtually non-existent. Bangladeshi embassies abroad are often ineffective. In the crowd of overflowing files, even a plea to save a life is lost. Thousands die without receiving treatment, legal aid, or the means to return home. Their bodies arrive wrapped in plastic, leaving behind grieving mothers, widowed wives, and children robbed of their childhood. What a cruel life!Although the country’s economy stands on their remittance, there is no long-term welfare fund, no universal insurance coverage, no simplified investment policies, no economic reintegration programs, and certainly no “recovery package” for these remittance warriors. When they die abroad, their families have to wage a battle just to bring their bodies back. The government offers a 2.5% incentive to encourage remittance through official banking channels rather than illegal hundi networks. Yet even this incentive often fails to reach them due to banking complications, corruption, and exploitation by middlemen and agents. The most disheartening aspect is that the “Expatriate Welfare Fund” under the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment collects over Tk 500 crore every year. However, much of this fund is not spent on the welfare of the expatriates. It is used instead for official foreign trips, seminars, training sessions, and development projects that benefit bureaucrats, not the workers who fund it through their labor. The money comes from the sweat of migrants, but the benefits are enjoyed by the invisible profiteers within the system. When a migrant returns to Bangladesh, society often sees them as outsiders. Politically, they have almost no voice. They cannot exercise their voting rights or participate in parliamentary representation. The very foundation of the country’s foreign reserves rests on a structure that is exploitative and morally bankrupt bound to collapse under its own weight. There must be an urgent shift. An effective and robust welfare framework must be created for every expatriate worker, including insurance, pensions, investment training, reintegration, and legal support. The Expatriate Welfare Bank and Board must be restructured to ensure swift resolution of migrant issues and deliver modern, corruption-free, and digital services. Embassies should be made accountable and service-oriented. The management of the Expatriate Welfare Fund must be transparent and efficient. A reintegration fund should be established for returning migrants. Public-private partnerships must be developed to create sustainable employment opportunities for returning workers. The definition of citizenship must be redefined, not solely based on sending dollars but on guaranteeing the fundamental human rights of migrants. If necessary, the government must ensure their voting rights and constitutional entitlements. Migrant workers are the silent guardians of our economy. They provide shelter and comfort through their labor, yet they themselves suffer in silence. They send dollars to our banks but receive neither compassion, respect, nor their rightful share of state services when they return. Remittance is not just money, it is love, sacrifice, and invisible martyrdom. But the state responds to this love with neglect, indifference, and exploitation. Migrant workers are, in fact, the silent pride of the nation, our true ambassadors. Ensuring their rights and wiping their tears is not just an economic obligation, but a moral responsibility. If the state does not honor them, our economy can never be sustainable. For an economy built on the sweat of the oppressed but denies them dignity, is not development, it is betrayal. Let us ensure that our expatriates are no longer left behind. Let the state return to them the love and justice they have long been denied. Let this be the oath of a new Bangladesh.