Saudis want female workers as precondition for hiring males

The Saudi government has always been pushing Bangladesh to send female workers since an agreement was signed early this year, implying in conversations that otherwise male workers would not be hired, although they never put it in writing, said BMET Director General Begum Shamsun Nahar yesterday.

Talking to journalists at Probashi Kalyan Bhaban in the capital, she said the response to government efforts to attract female jobseekers was always poor.

The Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) had opened for registrations online following a deal Dhaka and Riyadh inked on February 11 for 12 types of workers such as maids, drivers, housekeepers, security guards and gardeners.

"We have told the Saudi authorities to increase female workers' wages and ensure better protection for them, otherwise it is difficult to motivate females to go to that country," added Shamsun Nahar.

Earlier in the day, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam said the government would continue sending migrants as per the agreement.

On another note, he said the government welcomes any form of legal migration and was working, along with Malaysia and Thailand, to prevent irregular migration like those over the sea by boats.

Briefing journalists on the ministry's activities marking International Migrants Day today, he said an agreement was finalised to expedite the process for Malaysia to recruit Bangladeshi workers under a government to government contract.

It will be signed soon, said Nurul, adding that this year, till December 15, at least 5.23 lakh male migrants found jobs in different countries.

Moreover, he said Probashi Kalyan Bank would be converted into a regular bank and Tk 300 crore transferred to it from a migrants' welfare fund so that returnees can be provided loans and be rehabilitated.

Later, Nurul attended a seminar, "Migration in the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals," in the ministry's briefing centre.

Manusher Jonno Foundation Director (rights division) Rina Roy, Warbe Development Foundation Chairman Syed Saiful Haque, Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program Chairperson Shakirul Islam, and Bangladesh Ovhibashi Mahila Sramik Association Director Sumaiya Islam spoke at the seminar.