Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque on Monday said the government is actively pursuing the expansion of overseas employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers by diversifying labour markets beyond the traditional destinations in the Middle East.
‘Overseas manpower export remains a continuous process and Bangladesh is now sending workers not only to Middle Eastern countries but also to destinations including Seychelles, South Korea, Romania, Portugal, Japan, South Africa and several African nations,†the Minister said while responding to a written question of BNP lawmaker elected from Jamalpur-3 M Mostafizur Rahman Babul.
He outlined a series of initiatives and policy measures undertaken by the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment to expand labour markets and create greater employment opportunities abroad for Bangladeshi workers.
The minister said diplomatic efforts are continuing with Malaysia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to reopen or expand labour recruitment channels for Bangladeshi workers in markets that have remained closed or restricted.
He noted that Bangladeshi workers are currently being sent regularly to major labour destinations such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Romania, Seychelles and Portugal.
Bangladesh has already signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and agreements with 18 countries to facilitate overseas employment, he added.
Describing Malaysia as the second most preferred destination for Bangladeshi workers after Saudi Arabia, the minister said the government is working intensively to reopen the Malaysian labour market.
He said the ministry has undertaken initiatives to sign new MoUs, Memorandums of Cooperation (MoCs) and agreements with additional countries in line with the government’s election manifesto to broaden overseas employment opportunities.
He said special emphasis has been placed on language training for workers destined for Japan under a bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and Japan.
The government aims to send 100,000 workers to Japan over the next five years and has established a dedicated “Japan Cell†within the ministry to facilitate the process.
To enhance the employability of workers, the government has prioritised skills development and vocational training. A project titled “Driving Training for Employment at Home and Abroad†is currently being implemented successfully with the goal of producing 100,000 trained drivers.
The minister also highlighted ongoing cooperation with Japan under which technical interns are being sent to the country free of cost through the International Manpower Development Organisation (IM Japan). In addition, agreements have already been signed with seven Japanese companies to recruit Bangladeshi workers.
He said the government-run recruiting agency, Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd (BOESL), is regularly sending workers to countries including Brunei, Jordan, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong at low or no migration cost.
The minister told Parliament that 104 Technical Training Centres (TTCs) and six Institutes of Marine Technology (IMTs) under the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) are providing training in 55 trades to develop a skilled workforce capable of meeting domestic and international labour market demands.
Recognising the importance of language proficiency for overseas employment, the government has launched the Foreign Language and Skills Centre at the Dhaka Technical Teachers Training Institute (DTTI). The centre is working to provide language training in Japanese, Korean, English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Arabic, Italian and German through native-speaking instructors.
The minister said a Skills Verification Programme (SVP) is also being implemented under an agreement between BMET and Saudi Arabia-based company TAKAMOL. Skills tests are currently being conducted in 71 occupations through 30 institutions, enabling successful candidates to obtain recognised certification before travelling to Saudi Arabia.