Since the beginning, Bangladesh’s labour force in the Middle East has largely relied on unskilled workers. But with rapid technological advancement, the demand for unskilled labour is falling fast. A certain level of skill is now required even for jobs in loading and unloading or construction sector.
We are working to build skills for the Middle East-bound workers, while also trying to send skilled workers to Japan, South Korea and Europe.
If progress continues, more than 100,000 workers could be sent to Japan over the next five years. One major challenge is that the government does not conduct official labour market research. Bangladeshi missions abroad also have done little in this regard.
We have made some improvements, however, and will leave behind a policy document outlining steps for the next government. I believe within three years it will be possible to send skilled, semi-skilled, seasonal and permanent workers to new destinations.
There has also been progress in reopening closed labour markets through bilateral discussions. Sending workers to Malaysia is expected to resume within a month. The situation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is more complicated.
We remain grateful to our expatriates who took part in the July uprising, but the UAE authorities view them as lawbreakers, which continues to cast a shadow. In Oman, following discussions with the labour minister, irregular workers are being regularised. We hope fresh recruitment to Oman will be possible during this government’s tenure.
Our priority has been to bring discipline to the migration sector and to ensure the rights and dignity of expatriates. It was painful to see their plight at airports. To address this, we have introduced an expatriate lounge, round-the-clock support, and facilities for overnight stay.
We are also working to establish a hospital owned by expatriates, though it remains uncertain how far we can take it. Still, we have taken some steps to expand labour markets, ease workers’ suffering and increase benefits. We hope the next government will continue these efforts.
* Asif Nazrul is an Adviser to the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment