Editorial
Prospective labour market opening up
Government to government deal in the offing
The government hoping to build on the success of the state-to-state deal signed with its Malaysian counterpart is going for a similar arrangement with Bahrain. According to the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment ministry, migrant workers from Bangladesh may be able to secure employment there at a minimal cost of only Tk20,000. Were those cost estimates to hold true, it would prove to be a life-saver for many an expatriate worker traveling to Bahrain for employment. Currently, the average migrant worker must pay anywhere between Tk200,000 300,000.
It is interesting to note that prospective employers will provide airfare to Bangladeshi workers. That coupled with the absence of middle-men should help bring down costs significantly. It is a pity that our recruitment agencies have failed to take lessons to heart about the pervasive malpractices that exist in the private sector. Had those been resolved voluntarily, there would have been no need for government to get involved in this vibrant sector. Sadly, that has not been the case. After years of swindling poor workers financially that have led to the downfall of our reputation in international labour markets, it appears that only government-to-government deals can reopen closed markets.
Naturally, this is not a done deal as yet. The Bahraini authorities are in negotiation with their Bangladeshi counterparts to set up the recruitment process. Given that Bangladesh has moved significantly to set up a similar arrangement with Malaysia, we are hopeful that Bahrain will find our preparations satisfactory. Needless to say, the importance of inward remittance can hardly be understated. The search for other potential markets for all categories of expatriate workers including paramedics must continue with all seriousness. It is necessary for Bangladesh to move up to the skilled category should it hope to bring in significant remittances in the future.
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