Editorial
Twenty-six potential markets
Government's initiative to increase employment destinations welcome
In the dismaying scenario of a fall in the recruitment of Bangladeshi migrant workers by the usual markets such as Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Kuwait, comes a ray of hope. The government of Bangladesh has stated that there are 26 countries that could be potential recruiting markets. With a bit of diplomacy Bangladesh believes that new markets could increase the number of jobs for migrant workers.
Among these countries are Mauritius, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Sicily, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.
Last year these 26 countries recruited about 8,522 (according to a Prothom Alo report) Bangladeshi workers. The number is of course negligible compared to those migrant workers going to the usual recruiting countries. Last year more than two lakh eighty two thousand went to the Arab Emirates, one lakh thirty-five thousand to Oman and over 48 thousand to Singapore.
Apart from the 26 nations, the government is exploring potential markets in Japan, Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, among others.
All this shows a concerted effort by the government to increase opportunities for Bangladeshis to work abroad.
The recent restrictions imposed by the government requiring migrant workers going abroad through individual initiatives to compulsorily register with Bangladeshi missions abroad have been met with mixed feelings. While the intention is to safeguard the rights of the migrant workers, sceptics say that unless the process is carried out with efficiency and transparency with sincere efforts from the missions abroad, the strategy may backfire. The last thing we would want is a decline in recruitment because of bureaucratic tangles.
We hope that the government succeeds in attracting the new markets and making sure Bangladeshi workers have legitimate, secure employment abroad. At the same time there have to be moves to ensure that existing markets can continue to recruit the same number, if not more, of workers from Bangladesh while safeguarding their rights.
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