Skilled workers spend less on migration from Bangladesh compared to their unskilled compatriots but they also earn more than the unskilled ones.By sending mostly unskilled workers Bangladesh became known as the source of unskilled labourers, said expatriates welfare and overseas employment ministry officials.
EWOE ministry joint secretary (employment) Narayan Chandra Barma told New Age when recruited by state run Bangladesh Overseas Employment Service Limited the skilled workers could choose the country where they would work.
He said that the skilled workers pay nominal migration fees and virtually faced no problems at host countries.
Narayan said that the government would take action against any recruiting agencies charging unduly high migration fees or cheated any worker if the victims lodged complaints.
BOESL’s mandate, said its officials, requires the state run agency to send skilled workers and professionals at low costs ranging from $150 to $ 850 depending on the destination country or the nature of overseas jobs.
When an employer pays the airfare, they said, BOESL charges Tk 42,000 from a skilled worker.
But, they said, BOESL charges Tk 72,000 from a professional for sending him or her abroad with a job.
A lower fee of Tk 30,000 is charged for sending a skilled worker when the employer does not provide the airfare, said BOESL assistant general manager Noor Ahmed.
He said similarly a professional person also has to pay Tk 54,000 when no airfare is provided by the employer.
Job seekers said that authorized private recruiting agencies whose number exceeds 1,000 charge much higher migration fee from each and every worker just as they wish.
For sending a workers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a private agency charges between Tk five to six lakh and between Tk three to four lakh for sending a migrant to Malaysia, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.
For a Singapore bound worker migration cost is Tk 7.5 lakh, said recruiting agency officials.
An unskilled worker from Bangladesh gets the monthly wage equivalent to between $ 220and $ 250 in the Middle East or Malaysia while a skilled worker earns double the wage, they said.
EWOE ministry additional secretary Jabed Ahmed said that the government was trying to bring down the migration cost for the workers.
He said that the government had taken a project to impart skills on 2,00,000 workers at 70 Technical Training Centres it runs for the workers.
When asked, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies’ senior research fellow Dr. Anwara Begum said that Bangladesh requires to increase credible training facilities to produce skilled workers and professionals in diverse fields for overseas jobs.
Source: New Age
