The UAE has highly praised the hardworking and adaptive aptitude of Bangladeshi workers and appreciated their remarkable contribution to the socio-economic development of the country in the last four and a half decades.

Md Abu Zafar, ambassador of Bangladesh to the UAE and permanent representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency, held a bilateral meeting with Saif Al Suwaidi, undersecretary of the Ministry for Human Resources and Emiratisation of the UAE, at the latter's office in Dubai recently.

The issue of the return of Bangladeshi nationals with UAE residence, stranded in Bangladesh due to Covid-19 related travel ban, was discussed.

They discussed the whole gamut of bilateral cooperation and engagement in the areas of the continued employment of the Bangladeshi workforce in the UAE and skill development before their arrival.

While thanking the UAE leadership for hosting Bangladeshi workers and taking good care of them even during the pandemic, Ambassador Zafar underscored the importance of job-centric training and orientation of the workers before their travel to the UAE and as on-arrival orientation on the workers' rights, working condition, the UAE language and culture.

He put special emphasis on the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups, particularly female domestic workers.

Bangladesh can either designate or set up dedicated training institutes in the country and also develop a suitable training module for workers wishing to take up employment in the UAE with the support of the Gulf nation's government and or private sector, Ambassador Zafar suggested.

He proposed that the UAE can consider introducing "Skill Certification" for the returning workers who have gained the right skill in any trade owing to their long years of work there.

The ambassador also conveyed Bangladesh's readiness for hosting the first meeting of the Joint Committee (JC) in Dhaka on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding on the recruitment of domestic workers from Bangladesh.

He appreciated the UAE government for allowing visiting Bangladeshi nationals to take up employment in the country and then transfer their visit visa to employment visa at ease.

Ambassador Zafar also hoped for the re-opening of the UAE job markets for the general category of Bangladeshi workers along with other nationals that have remained suspended owing to the Covid-19 situation.

The UAE side welcomed the proposals and expressed its willingness for holding the JC meeting in Dhaka. 

They underscored establishing a comprehensive and sustainable process that would cover all aspects of migration – namely proper training of the workers, transparent selection and recruitment process, wage protection, end-service benefit, rights and duties of all stakeholders – employers, employees, recruiting agents and the governments.

Also, they said the whole issue would be discussed in detail during the forthcoming joint committee meeting.

The UAE side discussed the ways and means for close cooperation between the two countries in different international forums for promoting mutual interest in Abu Dhabi Dialogue, Colombo Process and the International Organization for Migration.

The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts from both ends.

The UAE undersecretary was assisted by Abdulla Ali Rashid Alnuaimi, assistant undersecretary of communication and international relations and other high officials of the ministry, while the ambassador was accompanied by the consul general of Bangladesh in Dubai and deputy chief of the embassy in Abu Dhabi.