Bangladesh and Qatar want to expand the existing ties with broader cooperation in the areas of manpower, energy, trade and investment following the planned visit of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Bangladesh next month. The two countries are in discussion to finalise nearly a dozen of cooperation documents which will be signed during the visit, said a source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two-day visit is likely to take place on April 21-22, he said.  The two sides are now working on the MoUs and agreements that will be signed after the Emir’s meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Cease-fire talks with Israel and Hamas are expected to resume Sunday in Qatar The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already held an inter-ministerial meeting to discuss various aspects of the visit. In March last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had a meeting with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha. She sought increased energy, particularly LNG, from Qatar to meet the energy demands. The State of Qatar recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign State on March 4, 1974 following the 2nd OIC Summit held in February 1974. Qatar assures support for Bangladesh's media sector development Bangladesh opened its diplomatic mission in Doha on June 25, 1975. The State of Qatar reciprocated by opening its diplomatic mission in Dhaka in 1982. Bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Qatar are based on mutual respect, shared values, common religious ground, shared culture, and tradition. People-to-people contacts bolstered by more than four hundred thousand Bangladeshi workers who are highly appreciated as disciplined and hardworking is one of the dominant features of bilateral relations, according to the MoFA. Bangladesh and Qatar consider each other as brotherly countries and important development partners in materialising Bangladesh’s Vision 2041 and Qatar’s vision 2030. Read more: Bangladesh ambassador accredited to Hungary presents credentials to Hungarian president

Bangladesh's Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad on Sunday (June 11, 2023) said currently there is no market for unskilled labourers abroad but demand for skilled manpower has increased. He said this while addressing as the chief guest at the inaugural programme of newly built Technical Training Centre (TTC) in Raninagar upazila of Naogaon on Sunday. The minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken an initiative to set up TTCs across the country to create employment opportunities and earn foreign currencies through developing skills of people. Also Read: Italy to take skilled workers from Bangladesh, contain illegal migration He said the government has also taken measures to send skilled farmers abroad but the farmers must have certificates on their skills. As per the directive of the prime minister, such training centres are being set up and the government has a plan to establish training centres in each upazila in phases for people’s skill development, he said. The minister said the training centres will have to be taken to a stage so that trained workers can be sent abroad immediately after they get training. Also Read: Malaysia and Bangladesh discuss expansion of labour market and worker safety A total of 880 people will be able to take six-month long training on 6 trades at the Raninagar’s TTC built at the cost of Tk 34.71 crore. Chaired by Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training General Director Md Shahidul Alam, local lawmaker Md Anowar Hossain Helal, Project Director Saiful Haque Chowdhury and additional deputy commissioner Md Zakir Hossain, among others were present. Also Read: 14 dead as truck collides with pickup van carrying construction workers in Sylhet

There are 60 stations under the Khulna Divisional Fire Service and Civil Defense where 223 posts are vacant and most of them do not have necessary equipment to fight fire or any other big disaster. According to fire service personnel, on one hand there is not enough manpower and equipment and on the other, they have to work through adversity due to lack of water sources, electric and dish cables, narrow roads and onlookers. In such a situation, they have controlled 2,034 fire incidents in the division last year that left 265 people  dead and 2,032 others wounded. Read More: Gulistan blast: Death toll rises to 22 These stations were supposed to have 1,688 manpower, but there are 1,465 people and 223 posts are vacant. Of these, one out of 10 posts of deputy assistant director, one of assistant communication engineer, 47 out of 64 station officers, seven out of 11 fire officers, three out of three mobilizing officers, one out of 47 sub-officers, seven out of 131 leaders, 126 out of 1,013 firefighters, 17 out of 258 drivers are vacant. There are 58 water-carrying vehicles, 53 small covered vans, 11 vehicles for carrying passengers for exercise, one car for public relations for the exercise, 22 ambulances, four SUVs, 103 pumps, 13 special vehicles and five vessels for the exercise. From January to December last year, fire service members responded to 1,244 road accidents, 2,034 fires and 91 other accidents. Besides, assets worth Tk 59,56,58,000 were recovered and  2,032 people were rescued in 1,870 different types of accidents. Read More: Fire at Gazipur cotton warehouse under control Divisional Fire Service and Civil Defense authorities said there are 60 fire service stations in 10 districts of the division. Besides, the construction of four stations in Fakirhat and Chitalmari upazila  in Bagerhat, Tala and Shyamnagar upazilas in Satkhira has been completed.   Besides, land has been finalized for the construction of two more fire stations at Daulatpur in Kushtia and Paikgachha in Khulna. Talking to the UNB correspondent, some members of the fire service said during the firefighting, there is a problem in working fast due to lack of water source on the way to the spot and after going to the spot, the hanging wires of electric and dish lines, narrow roads and electric poles on roads. Read More: Explosion in Science Lab area a massive accident: Fire Service DG Apart from this, there is a shortage of manpower, diving units, vehicles, disruption of wireless communication, and non-implementation of fire safety in multi-storied residential and commercial buildings, they said. According to the fire service members, Khulna Sadar and Tutpara station buildings are old and dilapidated. There were also incidents of injuries in the collapse of the building's plaster. Cars, computers, and wireless equipment were also damaged. There are 150 firefighters living in this dilapidated building with their lives at risk. There was a quarter for the members of the fire service, which was declared abandoned. Deputy Assistant Director of Khulna Fire Service and Civil Defense Tanharul Islam said, "It is necessary to remove the old building and construct a new one. This will result in vehicle safety and safe housing for fire service members at risk. And it is necessary to provide the much-needed equipment on an urgent basis to speed up the fire activities properly.” Read More: Gas explosions took 82 lives in 3 years in Narayanganj, threats remain: Police, fire service Mamun Mahmud, deputy director of the Divisional Fire Service and Civil Defense, said, "Higher authorities are aware of the shortage of manpower and equipment of the fire service of the division. In order to deal with the challenges in the operational activities of the fire service, equipment and manpower have been sought for each station. Hope, the situation will see improvement.”

Bangladesh expects to have an “elaborate discussion” with Malaysia this week on manpower recruitment in an effort to make the overall recruitment process more transparent and expeditious. Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is expected to pay a “working visit” to Bangladesh on February 4-5, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Seheli Sabrin told reports at a weekly briefing on Thursday. This is going to be the first minister-level visit from the Southeast Asian country since the formation of a new government there. The Malaysian Home Minister is likely to have meetings with his Bangladesh counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad during his two-day visit. “The upcoming visit will hopefully bring momentum in Bangladesh-Malaysia bilateral relations,” said the MoFA spokesperson. Bangladesh wants to ease the manpower recruitment process in Malaysia with a reduced cost through discussion. Read more: Manpower export to Malaysia resumes after four-year gap “The Malaysian home minister is coming with a big team. It will help make things (related to manpower recruitment) more rationalized. We want to send our workers at a reduced cost,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently. He said Bangladesh wants the manpower “cartel” to be dismantled, the recruitment cost reduced, and the rules of recruitment eased. Earlier, Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Md Golam Sarwar met with the Malaysian home affairs minister and discussed various issues of mutual interest. The high commissioner welcomed the Malaysian minister’s crucial visit to Bangladesh and discussed various aspects of the visit, according to the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. As it is his first foreign visit after taking charge as home minister, it is significant for both countries. They also discussed recruiting more manpower from Bangladesh in a short time at a low cost. High Commissioner Golam Sarwar requested the home minister of Malaysia to legalise the undocumented Bangladeshis in the Southeast Asian country on easy terms under the recalibration programme. The Malaysian home minister assured the high commissioner that they would look into the matter, according to the High Commission.

Medicare services of ICU and HDU units at Chuadanga sadar hospital remain suspended for around nine months due to lack of manpower causing a grave concern in the district as the fourth wave of the Covid-19 has already started in the country. Residents of the district have urged the concerned authorities to take necessary measures to open the life-saving units further taking into account the prevailing situation.  Sources said one ‘Sajeda Foundation’ inked a deal with the hospital authority on March 21 last year that they would treat ICU and HDU patients with their own manpower and necessary equipment including ventilator for a period of two months.    As per the deal, the foundation set up 6 ICU beds, 8 HDU beds, two ventilators and other equipment on the third floor of the hospital’s new building later. A team of 44 members of the foundation including 10 physicians, 14 ICU staff nurses, 7 ward boys, one each lab technologist and  X-ray technologist and others started treating patients especially for Covid-19 from July 26 last year. Though local lawmaker and heroic freedom fighter Solaiman Haque Joarder formally inaugurated the units on August 07 last year, the foundation engaged itself in serving patients much earlier.  The hospital authority said providing the ICU and HDU services to patients with the equipment have been halt for shortage of manpower for last nine months as the foundation left the hospital with their manpower after end of the tenure of the deal. Read: Baby snake killed after bit by 16 months old in Chuadanga Aminu Islam and Abdul Kader, treatment seekers who came at the hospital told this correspondent that they were very happy to learn about launch of the ICU and HDU units at the hospital last year as there was no ICU bed at any government and private hospitals in the district. Expressing grave concern over the closure of the two units after two months of launching, they have urged the prime minister to open the life-saving units soon permanently. Dr Nafiz Ullah, who performed duty as residential physician at the ICU unit during the tenure, told the UNB that the foundation provided patients with the ICU and HDU services with its own manpower and instruments for the two months as per the deal during the Covid pandemic in Chuadanga.  After the expire of tenure of the contract, the foundation donated the instrument of the units to the hospital authority and all manpower left, he said adding that they in a survey found activities of the units remain suspended owing to shortage of manpower.   The equipment including the expensive ventilators will go out of order if these lay idly for long, he said. Dr Ataur Rahman, Caretaker of Chuadanga sadar hospital, told this correspondent that he was not attached to the hospital when the foundation treated patients and donated the equipment. He said the units remain closed due to shortage of skilled manpower and other factors. We sent a letter to health ministry to take necessary measures to run the units further considering the current situation, Dr Ataur added. 

Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI) sought German cooperation in providing training to create skilled manpower in the industrial sector. Such cooperation was sought when a five-member delegation, led by BCI President Anwar-ul Alam Chowdhury (Parvez) met GIZ country director Dr. Angelika Fleddermann at her office at Gulshan in the city on Tuesday. GIZ is the main German development agency headquartered in Bonn and Eschborn that provides services in the field of international development cooperation and international education work. Read Factory committees: BGMEA, GIZ, Particip to work on participation, safety, anti-harassment The BCI leaders said they want to conduct Training of Trainers (ToT) training by bringing trainers from Germany, which is a country rich in workmanship, technology and technical knowhow said a BCI press release. BCI President seeks co-operation from GIZ in the field of building trainers, preparing course curriculum and training manual, achieving efficiency in using latest technology, building skilled manpower in light engineering and agro-processing sectors, creating new entrepreneurs and promoting exporters. The GIZ country director appreciated the BCI leaders for their interest in building the skilled manpower in the industrial sector in Bangladesh. READ: BCI delegation meets Germany envoy; seeks cooperation for micro, small industries Other members of the BCI delegation were Senior Vice President of BCI Priti Chakraborty, Vice president Shahidul Islam Niru, director K.M. Rifatuzzaman and Secretary General Dr. Ardhendu Shekhar Roy and Thomas Hubner, Business Scout for Development of GIZ and Dr. Michael Klode, Project Manager was also present at the meeting. The BCI President said that BCI is the sole and exclusive chamber of the industrial community which represents all sorts of industries of both the public and private sector and endeavours to contribute to the industrialization as well as economic development of the country. It also plays an important role in generating new entrepreneurs in the field of small and micro industry fields. Furthermore, BCI always works for the interest of the industries and tries to remove all kinds of obstructions and impediments. Read GIZ discusses areas of cooperation with BGMEA He mentioned that cottage, micro, and small industries in the country are sectors with immense potential but lacking skilled manpower. So the chamber thinks that to be a developed country and to achieve the vision 2041 there is no other option other than building skilled manpower.

Commuter train services on Chilmari Ramna Bazar-Rangpur and Kaunia-Ramna Bazar routes in Kurigram district resumed on Tuesday, two years after suspension of the operation.  State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md Zakir Hossain inaugurated the ‘Chilmari Commuter train’ at Ramna Bazar Station amid cheers from the locals. Read: Commuter train services resume on Kurigram-Ramna railway The train communication on the route was suspended on March 8, 2020, citing Covid-19 pandemic, shortage of drivers, manpower and station master. The resumption of the service came as a great relief for the locals who endured communication difficulties for past two years. The government introduced train communication from Chattogram to Chilmari on August 2, 1968 and there were eight stations in the 43-km railway in Kurigram. Four trains were in operation since then. Read:Teen wearing headphones killed by speeding train in Kurigram In 2002, the railway authorities suspended the operation of three trains and since then one train from Parbatipur-Ramna route was active. Khalidunnesa, divisional traffic superintendent of Bangladesh Railway, Lalmonirhat, said hoped that resumption of the operation will reduce commuters’ sufferings.

The general recruiting agents in the country jointly expressed their stand against allowing “a 25-agency syndicate” for exporting manpower to Malaysia. The agents announced it at a press briefing held at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Monday. They said it was unfair, unwanted and humiliating for Bangladesh that Malaysian Minister for Human Resources Sarvnan sought a list of 25 agencies and 250 sub agents from expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry.  All recruiting agencies are of equal qualifications and they have acquired license by providing same amount of caution money so they can’t be considered sub agents of 25 chosen ones. They also questioned on what basis the 25 agencies and sub agent’s qualifications will be measured. Also read: Ensure quick services to expats, FM Momen asks DCs They said, earlier in 2016, 10 agencies were approved and 210 others as sub agents but in real none other than those 10 agencies could send workers to Malaysia. Those agencies took two to three times more plane fare from the expat workers sent from Bangladesh to Malaysia, they said. The agents expressed their concern that those 10 agencies will try to misappropriate approval for these 25 “syndicates” like before from the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Mentioning all the recruiting agents from countries like Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Pakistan can send their workers without any syndicate to Malaysia, they said Bangladesh as a sovereign country should also be allowed the same.   Also read: Malaysian govt wants to cut out third parties in foreign recruitment However the agents appreciated the letter sent by Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmed to Malaysian government proposing open recruitment from all the legal agencies of Bangladesh on January 18. They demanded including the proposal at the upcoming meeting of Bangladesh-Malaysia working committee and its implementation.

Recruitment circular has been issued to fill the vacancies in the Marine Fisheries Academy under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. Manpower will be taken in two posts in the organization. Interested candidates should send application directly by 31st October. Marine Job Position Name: Draftsman  Position: 1  Eligibility: Must have Secondary School Certificate or equivalent pass and two year term trade                      course pass.  Salary: TK. 9,700-23,490 Marine Job Position Name: Office Assistant  Number of posts: 1  Eligibility: Must have Secondary School Certificate or equivalent pass.  Salary: TK. 8,250-20,010 Age Candidates must be between 18 and 30 years of age on March 25, 2020. However, in case of children with physical disabilities, freedom fighters, children and pets of martyred freedom fighters, the age can be relaxed up to 32 years. Affidavit is not admissible in case of proof of age. Application fee The original copy of the invoice should be attached with the application form by depositing TK.100 / - for the 1st position and TK.50 / - for the 2nd position in the treasury invoice code 1-4432-0001-2031. Apply Procedure: The application form has to be downloaded and filled from the website of the Ministry of Public Administration and the website of the Marine Fisheries Academy. Principal, Marine Fisheries Academy, Fisheries Port, Chittagong-4000 should be sent by post / courier service / directly. Last date of application: October 31, 2021. For Details: https://www.mfacademy.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/mfacademy.portal.gov.bd/non_categorized_content/d4d4e4bf_fc41_4e75_b2a4_d216fdd720a4/2021-09-30-02-20-ed3bdd351b0bfc4cc93d490efc600325.pdf Also Read:Metro Rail New Job Circular 2021: Dhaka Mass Transit Company Recruitment

Sonagazi Health Complex, the lone medical centre for about five lakh people of the upazila in Feni district, is unable to provide proper medical services due to its manpower crunch and crumbling infrastructures. Although the health complex was upgraded to a 50-bed one from a 31-bed one in 2014, its manpower, infrastructures and equipment remained unchanged. According to sources at the hospital, the ceiling plasters of the hospital’s administrative building keep falling off regularly as it was built in 1977. Read: BGMEA continues supporting Covid dedicated hospitals Patients are provided medical services in shabby structures as people from nine unions and one municipality of the upazila visit it for treatment.   The medical services of its emergency unit and women's and children's wards are carried out on the ground floor of the two-storey building due to the space crisis. Its physicians and staff are working with a sense of insecurity as plasters are falling off from its ceilings, while its walls and pillars have developed cracks and most of its doors and windows got broken. Read Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Big medical bills making many people paupers Sadequl Karim, a doctor at its emergency unit, said the hospital needs to be renovated or it should have a new building to offer better medical services to the residents of the unpazila. “One of the major problems this hospital faces is the shortage of doctors and other staff. Everybody is overworked,” he bemoaned. This hospital, he says, sees a footfall of 250-300 patients in its outdoor section on average every day while 60-70 get admitted to the hospital a day. But they have to stay on the floor due to a serious bed crisis, Karima added. Read Photos showing how hospitals in Bangladesh struggling with dengue patients amid covid surge