Saudis yet to respond to allegation

Saudi Arabia's labour ministry and embassy in Dhaka are yet to respond to allegations that it is declining to issue visas for male Bangladeshi workers unless private manpower recruiters simultaneously provide female migrants.

"If we want to send 100 male workers, we must send at least 25 female workers," a private recruiter requesting anonymity told The Daily Star on Saturday, adding that the unofficial condition was imposed from this month.

Confirming that he received a letter from the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) on July 2 containing the allegation, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said there should not be any such condition.

Sarwar Alam, counsellor (labour) at the Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh, said they were yet to get a response to a note verbale sent to the Saudi labour ministry.

He said 260 female workers had already reached the Middle Eastern country and 400 others would soon follow suit.

The Saudi embassy could not be contacted over the phone.

Only some 3,500 females registered online with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training following a deal Dhaka and Riyadh inked on February 11 for 12 types of workers such as maids, drivers, housekeepers, security guards and gardeners.

A visiting Saudi delegation had also expressed the desire to hire 10,000 a month.

Citing that reports of rampant abuse had prompted Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Nepal to stop sending their female migrants, non-government organisations and civil society members have been requesting that the Bangladesh government protect its own.

The expatriates' ministry said the response from prospective female migrants was poor mainly due to inadequate campaigns and dissatisfaction over the salary -- Tk 16,000 per month.