Expedite the training programs for overseas job seekers to tap the prospect of the global job market, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment.
She said: Bangladesh’s manpower market is now expanded in 159 countries. Our manpower has more prospects in the international job market. For this our workforce need necessary training.
The PM said this while addressing the officials of the ministry at Eskaton in Dhaka on Sunday. She visited the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment as part of her plan to visit every ministry aimed at exchanging opinion with the ministry officials, know about the development programs and bring dynamism in their activities.
Pointing out the malpractice of some recruiting agencies and attempt of an unscrupulous section to send people abroad by boat, trawler and small ships on the maritime route, she said people should be made aware against the life-risking practice.
Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Engineer Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain and Secretary Dr Khandakar Showkat Hossain also spoke on the occasion.
The prime minister also sounded a note of caution against the private manpower recruiters saying the recruiting agencies must do business, but not by exploiting people.
She said the government has initiated manpower export under government to government (G2G) deal not to close the private recruiting agencies but encourage them to send people abroad following the rules and principles.
“At the beginning the private recruiters opposed our attempts, but now they could realize that it is necessary to check corruption and malpractice in the sector to keep the manpower export sustainable,” she said.
The PM said the Awami League government has established the Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry to establish discipline in the manpower export sector.
“Many foreign job seekers are being harassed and exploited by the private recruiting agencies”, she said urging for building awareness among people in this regard.
Sheikh Hasina said the manpower export sector witnessed tremendous success during her government’s immediate past tenure. “The success must be made sustainable,” she said.
Terming the Bangladesh’s huge manpower as one of the country’s best valuable resources, she said, “We have to ensure proper utilization of the human resources for country’s development to fulfill the aspiration of the independence.”
Sheikh Hasina said people go abroad to make own fortune. “Our expatriates historically played their immense role in country’s liberation and democratic movement,” she said adding expatriates have huge contribution to country’s development.
In this regard she highlighted the contribution of the expatriates to country’s economy over the last few years during economic meltdown. “Many countries derailed from their economic growth. In Bangladesh the economic crisis turned worst because of the misrule of immediate past BNP-Jamaat alliance government and frightening rule of the caretaker regime,” she said.
“But, braving all adverse situation, we could reenergize Bangladesh’s economy thanks to huge remittance sent by the expatriates,” she said.
Highlighting the steps taken by her government for the welfare of the expatriate nationals, Sheikh Hasina said once the contribution of the expatriates is considered, there is no scope to show any negligence to them.
She said the Awami Leagaue government in a frantic diplomatic approach during its office in 1996-2001 period, made legal about 1.65 lakh Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia.
But, during the rule of BNP government another one lakh Bangladeshi nationals became illegal in lack of necessary attention to the matter, she said.
Bangladesh has excellent ties with Malaysia where manpower is now being exported under G2G basis, she said adding that foreign job seekers are now being given necessary training and knowledge about the laws of the countries where they go with job.
The prime minister said the Expatriate Welfare Bank is functioning well from which a person going abroad for job can take loan to make up the expenditure of airfare and other necessary expenses.
“The government has enacted Overseas Employment and Migrant Workers Act, 2013 to bring accountability and transparency in the area of manpower export and protect the interest of the overseas employees,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said new missions were opened in the Bangladesh embassies abroad to look into the problems of the expatriate workers. Fifteen new labour wings were opened, which helped find out overseas job for about five to six lakh workers.
The prime minister said the manpower export activities were brought under information technology and about 20 lakh workers were brought under a database. “Biometric smart cards were introduced for every overseas worker,” she said. –Our Monitor (Photo: PID)