Dhaka, March 6 – Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Islam yesterday has said that his ministry is not aware about imposing ban on recruiting Bangladeshi workers by Kuwait.“We don’t know the reason as to why recruiting manpower to Kuwait has been postponed. However, we will take our endeavour from our side to resume the manpower market there,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at a dialogue on “World labour market and Bangladesh context.”
The minister made the comments a day after Kuwait reportedly imposed a ban on recruiting Bangladeshis as house helps to work in the northern Arabian Gulf state.
Journalists Forum on Migration (JFM) organized the dialogue at a city restaurant to mark its first founding anniversary with its president Monir Hossain in the chair.
Nurul Islam warned that they won’t give shelter to any syndicate to carrying out monopoly business in sending workers abroad.
He said the expatriate welfare and overseas employment ministry is relentlessly working to ensure migration process more easy, safe, transparent and sustainable along with reducing the migration cost.
The minister put emphasis on the need to provide self-defend training to the female workers so that they can protect their honour.
Bangladeshi workers are working abroad with name and fame. Discipline has been restored in the migration sectiro as many good and educated people have been involved with this profession, he said.
He called upon all to play their due role from their respective position for boosting the migration sector and said his ministry is ready to take action against corrupt people.
In his keynote paper, Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron, chairman of Debate for Democracy, recommend the government to provide district based recruiting license to reduce the suffering and hassles of the workers.
He also put emphasis on the need to introduce five year migration diplomacy plan to ensure safety, wages or workers, exploring new markets and sending more workers abroad.
Former diplomat Humayun Kabir, JFM acting general secretary Rabiul Haque, vice president Morsalin Babla, Shamsul Islam, Akhter Hossain and Sajjad Hossain Hossain, among others, also spoke on the occasion. – Staff Reporter
