Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday directed the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry to make the overseas employment process very transparent and conduct massive campaign to raise the jobseekers’ awareness. She asked authorities concerned to promote overseas jobseekers to take loans from Probashi Kallyan Bank instead of selling lands to go abroad. Sheikh Hasina gave the directives while chairing the virtual Cabinet meeting from her official residence Ganobhaban. The other concerned were connected with the meeting from the Bangladesh Secretariat. “The Prime Minister has instructed that the process will have to be made very precise and transparent for those who would go abroad,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters at the Secretariat after the meeting. Also read: 90pc Cabinet’s decisions implemented in 3 years “The Prime Minister also instructed to carry out massive campaign in media – television channels, radios and newspapers—informing them (overseas jobseekers) about the exact authority and the amount of expense and asking them to go abroad taking loans from Probashi Kallyan Bank, if they need money, as the bank doesn’t provide a loan without job confirmation letters. So, they will be safe… they will not be deceived,” he said. The ministry also asked to take steps so that Bangladeshi workers  need not to pay extra money for getting  the overseas jobs and they can go abroad contacting the ministry and its directorates concerned, said the Cabinet Secretary. Because, many Bangladeshi workers go abroad making direct payment and knowing nothing about the jobs upon assurance by a class of middlemen, he said adding  some such cases were also discussed in the Cabinet meeting. “If they take loans from the bank instead of selling lands, the bank would not pay money until confirmation of their appointment. So, they would remain safe,” he added. Some Bangladeshis went to Malaysia spending Tk 3-4 lakh, but many of them could not recovered their cost in two years and returned home empty handed, said Anwarul Islam. Also read: Cabinet clears draft law over EC formation In the meeting, the Prime Minister also instructed the authorities concerned to raise another issue before the jobseekers that tens of thousands of workers will be required in the 100 industrial parks including Mirsarai economic zone which are now being constructed at different places in the country. In order to get a job with handsome income in the country, the jobseekers can be asked to build their capacity and take training knowing the job requirements in the industrial parks, she said. The Cabinet approved in principle the draft of Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation Act, 2022, aiming to run the corporation under a time-befitting law. The meeting also endorsed the draft of Bangladesh National Conservation Strategy 2021-2036, formulated in both Bengali and English in a bid to conserve the natural environment and resources properly. “Some 10-12 ministries are involved here who will sit regularly to take plans as per the strategy and implement the programmes to protect our environment,” said Anwarul Islam. Besides, the Cabinet approved the Import Policy Order, 2022-2025, aiming to make the policy a time-befitting one. As per the policy, the retailers can import goods of maximum US$ 0.5 million instead of US$ 0.2 million through TT (Telegraphic Transfer of money) instead of LC.

In an encouraging sign of normalcy returning to the overseas labour market for Bangladeshis, the number of workers receiving immigration clearance in a single month from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training crossed 100,000 (1 lakh) last November. Only once before, in March 2017, had so many workers (above 1 lakh) received BMET clearance in a single month. But the November figure gains far more significance coming on the back of the post-Covid lockdown slump witnessed in the international labour market. Shahidul Alam, Director General of BMET, told UNB that 102,863 (1 lakh 2 thousand 63) workers were provided clearance to go abroad in November 2021, by far the highest in a single month since the start of the pandemic. Also read: Supreme Court rules against immigrants with temporary status According to BMET numbers, 35,732 workers were cleared to go abroad in January 2021, followed by 49,510 in February and 61,653 in March. However, during the second wave of the pandemic in the country, the number of migrating workers decreased due to the reimposition of lockdown in April, dropping to 34,145 and then even further to 14,200 in May.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Golam Sarwar on Thursday said the High Commission is optimistic that "Chakrir Khoj" job portal will complement the initiatives of the Malaysian government for making the ongoing recalibration programme a success. This initiative is to help the recalibration programme declared by the Malaysian government without prejudice to ongoing negotiations for the recruitment of new workers from Bangladesh, said the High Commissioner. The job portal was launched by the High Commission only to facilitate the ongoing legalisation process, as they were requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Immigration of Malaysia, during various meetings, to help the Recalibration Programme whatever way possible, Sarwar said in Kuala Lumpur. Read Initiatives taken to help workers get jobs in Malaysia without hassle: Envoy He said the High Commission is optimistic that under the guidance of the Minister for Human Resources of Malaysia and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister of Bangladesh, the ongoing negotiations for the recruitment of new workers from Bangladesh will be concluded at the earliest. Bangladesh High Commission launched the job portal as part of its responsibility for the greater welfare of Bangladeshi nationals in Malaysia, said the High Commissioner. Considering the importance of the initiative, he said, the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister attended the virtual launching ceremony as the chief guest while State Minister for Foreign Affairs was the special guest.  Read Comprehensive database for migrant workers launched with IOM support Secretary of Bangladesh Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the Deputy Director General of Malaysian Department of Labour were also present in the virtual ceremony as special guests. Bangladesh High Commission has recently launched the online job portal "Chakrir Khoj" targeting "only the illegal Bangladeshi workers" in Malaysia to find suitable employers. Moreover, the High Commission has received requests from several Malaysian employers to help them to find suitable Bangladeshi undocumented workers for employment under the recalibration programme, as the ongoing recalibration programme do not allow any third party vendors to help the employers to search for undocumented foreign workers, said the High Commissioner. Read Biman to run special flights to 5 countries from Apr 17 Malaysia is one of the most popular destinations for Bangladeshi workers. Many enter the country legally and then stay past their visa’s expiration date. Last year, when the world was gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic, only 125 Bangladeshis were employed in Malaysia, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET). A year before that only 545 Bangladeshis had gone to Malaysia with jobs. In 2018, the number was 175,927. Read Best Job Searching Websites in Bangladesh In 2019, Bangladeshis expatriates in Malaysia sent back US$1,278.57 million, which was 6.97 percent of the total remittance received that year. Last year, the figure was $1,735.34 million – 7.98 percent of the total inbound remittance, according to BMET. From 1976 to February 2021, officially 1,057,185 Bangladeshis had gone to Malaysia for work. Read Dhaka seeks KL's support to finalise protocol on manpower recruitment

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Md Golam Sarwar on Saturday said they have taken a number of initiatives with digital platforms like “Chakrir Khoj” to help migrant workers get rid of any middlemen or agents making the entire process transparent and getting jobs without any hassle. “There’ll be no scope of fraudulence or getting cheated (by agents). We’ll remain careful always so that no one gets cheated,” he said while exchanging views with the members of Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) virtually. Deputy High Commissioner Mohammad Khorshed A Khastagir and officials from various wings of the High Commission also spoke at the programme. The Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur recently launched the job portal “Chakrir Khoj” at a virtual event. Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad, MP attended it as the chief guest while State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, MP was the special guest.