By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka
Bangladesh has sent over 9.5mn overseas workers abroad with employment that has contributed significantly to the socio-economic advancement of the country.
“Overseas employment is a very important aspect in socio- economic life of Bangladesh,” expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister Nurul Islam BSc told newsmen in Dhaka yesterday.
He said Bangladesh encourages documented overseas employment as an important component of earning foreign currency. He said the country has sent over 9.5mn workers to 160 countries of the world.
According to Bangladesh Bank (BB) data, the remittance inflow to the country rebounded in September this year by 2.64% over the amount that the expatriate Bangladeshis sent home in August.
With the increased inflow in September, the country received a total of $3.97bn in remittance in the first quarter (Q1) of the current 2015-16 financial year (FY16) and the total remittance inflow for Q1 was $4.01bn last year.
Though Bangladesh is facing big problems because of its huge population size, it has never encouraged undocumented overseas employment.
The country has set up 47 vocational training centres, four institutes of marine technology across the country for imparting training to a large number of workers and a project has been undertaken to set up over 400 sub-district level vocational training centres to train manpower, an official said.
He said the government has also reduced cost of overseas employment and provided necessary trainings to workers with a target to send skilled manpower abroad.
The government set up Probashi Kalyan Bank and Karmasangsthan Bank so that the people who want to go abroad do not need to sell their land or properties. These banks provide soft-term loans to the job-seekers.
The government signed separate Government-to- Government agreements with overseas workers-receiving countries to ensure safe and fair migration. In this regard, the government has prepared a databank of 1.45mn workers through online registration who intend to go to abroad for jobs.
Bangladesh is now working to find new destinations for workers and established 28 labour wings in Bangladesh’s embassies abroad.
The ministry of foreign affairs yesterday once again advised Bangladesh nationals not to travel to Libya due to the ongoing fighting, threat of terrorist attacks and a dangerous security situation throughout the country.
“Bangladesh nationals including migrant workers have again been strongly advised not to undertake any visit to Libya in view of the ongoing fighting and deteriorating security situation in the African country,” said a statement issued by the ministry of foreign affairs in Dhaka.
The statement said the ministry is monitoring the situation and further requesting Bangladesh nationals to refrain from visiting Libya.
Unless unavoidable, it said, visiting Bangladesh nationals from Libya have also been advised to refrain from traveling back to the trouble-torn African country for the time being.
Newly-appointed Bangladesh ambassador to Qatar Ashud Ahmed made a courtesy call on president Abdul Hamid at the president’s secretariat in Dhaka yesterday.
During the meeting, the president said that Qatar would need huge manpower for the construction and other preparatory works for the World Cup Football in 2022 and asked the ambassador to take the initiative and use this opportunity to secure employment for more Bangladeshis there, president’s press secretary Joynal Abedin told newsmen.
He urged the envoy to ensure welfare of the expatriate Bangladeshis in Qatar.
Abdul Hamid advised the new ambassador to help increase the country’s trade and investment with Qatar.
Secretaries concerned to the president’s were present.
Earlier in July 14, the government also advised Bangladesh nationals to avoid going to Libya, suspending its mission there and relocating its staff to Tunisia. Those who were still in Libya had been urged to exercise caution in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.
Around 40,000 Bangladeshis are now living amid uncertainty in Libya. Many of them are attempting to make the risky voyage over the Mediterranean into Europe. Their plight came to light after a boat carrying around 500 migrants capsized in the sea on August 24. At least 78 Bangladeshis were on the boat. Of them, 24 died and 54 were rescued.
The oil-rich African country has been in turmoil since Nato-backed forces removed its former leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. At present, the Libyan government, its militia allies and rivals are fighting among themselves there. Islamic State (IS) is also taking advantage of the chaos. Since last summer, most countries have closed their missions in Libya.
In March last, two Bangladeshis who were taken hostage by the IS along with some other foreigners were rescued from the country.
