Dhaka to ask Doha to recruit more workers, recognise skills
The government prepares to request the Qatari authorities to increase recruitment of workers from Bangladesh in the current year, said officials in Dhaka.
A senior official of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment ministry told New Age that Bangladesh government would request the Qatari government to recognise the skills of Bangladeshi workers so that they get benefits of skilled workers there.
Manpower recruitment to Qatar had drastically declined in 2019, worrying the workers and recruiting agencies in Bangladesh.
Besides, a good number of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Qatar have faced detention and deportation in the last year.
A meeting of the joint technical committee’ between Bangladesh and Qatar would be held in Doha on February 2 to 5, said oficials.
Bangladesh delegation would raise the currents issues regarding manpower recruitment in Qatar in the meeting, they said.
A Bangladesh delegation led by Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment secretary Md Salim Reza is scheduled to leave Dhaka for Doha today.
Other members on the delegation include Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training director general Md Shamsul Alam, EWOE ministry joint secretary Md Fazlul Karim, EWOE ministry deputy secretary Mohammad Shaheen and foreign ministry’s director Seheli Sabrin.
At least 1,461 Bangladeshi workers came back from Qatar in the first six months 2019 after losing jobs, getting undocumented and facing other problems, said officials in Dhaka.
Most of the returnees said they were not paid their wages for several months by the cleaning companies they had worked for.
All the workers came back with exit passes provided by Bangladesh embassy in Doha, said immigration officials at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Migration of Bangladeshi workers to Qatar dropped to near 50,000 in 2019 from over 76,500 in the corresponding period in 2018, said Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training officials.
About four lakh Bangladeshi workers are currently working in Qatar, said officials.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
