BMET Server Setback: Migrant Workers Face Delays Over Certificate Outage
A four-day server disruption at the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) left hundreds of aspiring migrant workers across Bangladesh unable to access their pre-departure orientation (PDO) certificates. The outage, caused by a lack of power backup during substation maintenance and the failure of a network switch, has now been resolved, with full server functionality restored late Tuesday night, June 23.
From Wednesday, June 24, applicants can once again access BMET’s official website to apply for training and download their PDO certificates upon completion.
The disruption caused significant distress, particularly for those who had completed training and examinations on the previous Thursday. Many reported being unable to retrieve their certificates online that evening. Numerous complaints submitted to DigiBanglaTech.News revealed that even visits to district-level BMET offices yielded no clear answers.
One affected individual from Chhagalnaiya, Feni—using the alias Zahid Hasan out of concern for future repercussions—shared his experience. “After I completed the training on Thursday, the BMET office told us we could collect our certificates from any computer store that evening,” he said. “But when I went, I couldn’t download it because the server was down.”
Zahid added, “I’ve just been sitting idle for days. Without the certificate, I can’t proceed with other steps. When I went to the district office on Monday, they couldn’t say when the site would be functional again. They just said I’d get it once it was restored. How long am I supposed to wait in this uncertainty?”
He noted that at least a hundred trainees had completed their session with him, yet none had received their certificates.
A similar complaint came from Hasan Ali, the younger brother of Sohel Mia from Shariatpur. Sohel explained, “My brother completed the training, but he hasn’t received his certificate. While a few managed to get theirs earlier, no one has been able to download one since Thursday evening.”
“He’s now in despair. His visa is ready, but without the certificate, he can’t book his flight. Yet nobody seems to be listening to his concerns. No one can even say when the website will be back.”
Many others echoed these frustrations on social media platforms. Typically, PDO certificates are available for download the same day the training concludes.
Speaking to DigiBangla, BMET Director Engineer Md. Akram Ali assured that certificates would be available “just as before once the server resumes operation.” He promised that the issue would be resolved by June 24—and, as per his assurance, the server came back online after 8 PM that night. Several migration hopefuls later contacted DigiBangla to express their gratitude.
When asked about the cause of the server failure, BMET Instructor Md. Saiful Islam Mamun explained that the server went down due to a lack of backup power during substation work. “When we tried to bring it back online Sunday, we discovered that the network switch had failed. The server remained completely offline Monday, but it has been restored as of Tuesday,” he said.
He added, “We are now taking precautionary measures to ensure it remains operational 24/7 going forward.”
