Editorial
Baira has its job cut out
It shouldn't feel left out at all
THE ongoing tiff between Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) and the Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry is uncalled for. That is because of the fact that both have a role to play in sending manpower to various destinations. They can only benefit from a good and mutually complementary relationship rather than being caught up in any adversarial relationship.
It appears that positive signals have been put across to Baira by the ministry concerned as well as the Parliamentary Standing Committee to come forward with a renewed vigour. For this to happen they need to delineate their respective roles so that there is no ground for conflict or confusion. Minister for Overseas Employment Khondker Mosharraf Hossain and the head of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the ministry Anisul Islam Mahmud have clearly identified where the recruiting agencies should come in.
First and foremost, they will have to cut down the costs of manpower export which are simply unaffordable for most jobseekers. Besides, there has been fraudulent activity on the part of some recruiting agencies with the result that the jobseekers fell prey to exploitation and contractual distortions. Resultantly, many of them have been pauperized and unable to pay up the debts forcing them to eke out a miserable existence.
Thus to cut costs and be genuine in their dealings, the recruiting agencies need to follow the government's lead. Anisul Islam Mahmud suggested that Baira should cooperate with the ministry since the government was working to ensure transparency in the sector. But the absence of a legal framework is denying fuller opportunity for the recruiting agencies to work.
Khondker Mosharraf for his part clarified that the government was only sending workers to Malaysia under government-to-government arrangement. That leaves out 156 countries for Baira to explore and utilise job demands from.
In this context, Baira should come forward ending their unilateral decision to stop sending manpower to realise the whole range of prospects lying ahead of them.
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