Export of manpower is closed in Maldives. Workers will not go to Malaysia after May 31. Six months have passed since the Omani visa was suspended, but there has been no resolution. Terming the issue as a ‘black shadow’ in the export of manpower, experts in this sector say that although the government is talking about creating a new market, the reality is different.
Stakeholders say sustainable labor migration should have been the cornerstone of Smart Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also sees the matter in the same way. However, it is not reflected in reality.
In this context, immigration expert Asif Munir told the newspaper, ‘It definitely indicates the negative side of manpower export. But one thing should be remembered, we are sending workers to few countries in turn. As a result, one day it will be seen that I cannot send anyone again.’
Asif Munir said, “Most of our workers do not pass the SSC. They cannot speak Bengali well. English is far away. So skills must be increased through crash programs. In this case, there can be a 10-year plan. Then it will be seen that we are moving forward.’
100,000 quota workers are illegal in the Maldives
After four years of closure, the Maldives finally opened its doors to Bangladeshi workers in December last year. But that didn’t last long. Recently, the country has once again stopped hiring Bangladeshi workers.
The Bangladesh High Commission said that the country’s government has stopped issuing new worker visas because the quota has been met, but in a press conference last December, the country’s Home Minister Ali Ihusan said, ‘There are already 139,220 work permits for Bangladeshi workers. Among them, only 39 thousand 4 people are valid by paying work permit fee regularly.
In this context, High Commissioner of Bangladesh appointed in Maldives, Rear Admiral SM Abul Kalam Azad said, ‘There is an attempt to increase the quota of Bangladeshi workers in the country. Workers must travel to the Maldives legally through the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), not on a tourist visa or free visa.’
Workers going to Malaysia will be stopped from Friday
Malaysia has stopped recruiting workers from Bangladesh for three years after a syndicate of Gutiek recruiting agencies raked in thousands of crores. Then, after many negotiations, workers were again sent to the country from December 19, 2022. At least four lakh workers have gone to the country in the last year and a half. But on the pretext of filling the quota, the country suddenly announced the suspension of visas. It has also been said that no workers can enter Malaysia after May 31. In this situation, at least 10,000 Bangladeshi workers are afraid of not being able to go to Malaysia after completing all the procedures.
In the second round, the syndicate complained. A total of 25 recruiting agencies are fixed. Apart from this, no one can send workers to the country. Other recruiting agencies also made a big movement about it. They said, in turn, the previous syndicate is still in place. In this situation, workers cannot be sent to the country from next Friday.
In this context, State Minister for Expatriate Welfare Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury said that a letter has been sent to Malaysia to extend the time. Discussions are ongoing.
Not resolved with Oman
Late last year, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) said in a statement that all visas for Bangladeshi citizens have been suspended. The visa change process has also been suspended for foreigners who have already arrived in Oman on tourist and travel visas.
However, the reason was not mentioned by the Oman Royal Police. Still, Bangladeshi diplomats said at the time that the number of Bangladeshi workers in the country had increased. Many of them are unemployed. Because of this, they have stopped sending new workers.
But the Bangladesh authorities have not been able to deal with the country until now. According to BMET’s website, only 302 workers left the third largest labor market after this decision. These workers were also issued visas earlier.
The joint secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), an organization of manpower exporters, Tipu Sultan told Khabar Kagaz, ‘The government should increase diplomatic activity to launch this market quickly. If not, the expatriate income will be affected.
However, in order to solve the problem, State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury went on a seven-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman on May 24. As a result, it is expected that the obstacles to the export of manpower to Oman will be removed.