The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment prepared a list of the NRBs and sent it to the cabinet committee. The proposal is likely to be placed before the next cabinet meeting for final approval, sources said.

A draft on manpower export policy of the government is also likely to be placed before the next cabinet meeting.

The draft, also awaiting cabinet approval, has been prepared on the basis of discussions with various local and international organisations and inter-ministerial meetings in the last two years.

This is for the first time that the government is arranging extra facilities for the expatriates who have made significant contributions for keeping the country's macro economy stable by sending remittance, thus increasing the foreign reserve.

The 25 NRBs will avail themselves of all facilities and status like the CIP declared by the Ministry of Commerce for outstanding contribution in the field of business, sources said.

Among them, five will be awarded the CIP status for sending highest remittance in a year while ten each in two other categories for investing and importing Bangladeshi goods.

The CIP status will be given for one year and will be reviewed every year.

The government had earlier decided to issue remitter's card for sending big volume of remittance in a year. But the idea was abandoned as the finance ministry did not agree to the proposal, sources said.

Around five million Bangladeshis living abroad send over $4.5 billion a year.