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Hello Mortaza,

Thanks for your questions.

1. We estimated the impact of GDP growth in Bangladesh and found a significant negative relationship. Economic growth in host countries shuold also matter. Oil price actually serves as a proxy in our equation since the vast majority of Bangladeshi workers are employed in oil exporting countries.

2. Impact of competing countries on our manpower exports is an interesting issue. There are major data availability problems however.

3. I wish we had a reliable time series on the skill composition. Suggestion to government is fairly straightforwad--create an enabling environment for market demand driven provision of technical education. We realioze however that this is easier said than done as the experience of the last decade and a half shows.

Zahid