Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment to expedite the training programmes for overseas job seekers to tap the prospects of the global job market, the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reports.
‘Bangladesh’s manpower market has now been expanded into 159 countries. Our manpower has more prospects in the international job market. For this our workforce need necessary training,’ she said.
The PM said this while addressing the officials of the ministry at Eskaton here Sunday.
Sheikh Hasina came to the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment as part of her plan to visit every ministry aimed at exchanging views with the ministry officials, know about the development programmes and bring dynamism in the activities of the ministries.
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 such life-risking practice.
Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Engineer Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, secretary of the ministry Dr Khandakar Showkat Hossain also spoke on the occasion.
The PM 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 it’s necessary taken by the government to check corruption and malpractice in the sector to keep the manpower export sustainable,’ 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 foreign job seekers are now being given necessary training and knowledge about the laws of the countries where they go with job.
The PM 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 PM said the manpower export activities were brought under a information technology under which about 20 lakh workers were brought under a database.
‘Biometric smart cards were introduced for every overseas workers,’ she said.
Source: Newage
