Bangladesh sends 2,17,491 workers abroad, gets $22,836.98m remittance

Although the coronavirus has hit every country in the world, Bangladesh sent 2,17,491 workers overseas and received $ 22,836.98 million as remittance till May during the financial year of 2020-2021 (FY21).

 “The trend of overseas employment is satisfactory during the COVID-19 pandemic,” an official of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry told BSS.

He said the overall manpower export from Bangladesh is expected to increase gradually although COVID-19 pandemic hit globally, but as many as 5,30,578 workers have got overseas jobs, sending $18,205.01 million in the FY20. “We’ve been working to increase number of overseas migrant workers as well as ensure the rights and protection of them following the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” the official added. Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad informed the Jatiya Sangsad that from 2011 to 2020, 59 lakh 84 thousand 943 workers went abroad. The highest number of 10,08,525 overseas job seekers went abroad in 2010.

About overseas labour market during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the government collected information about overseas labour market from diplomatic missions.  “We have got idea of present employment situation in 25 countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Malaysia and Singapore. Plans have been taken to create skilled workers accordingly,” the minister said.

He added that new labour migration to Poland, Croatia and Uzbekistan began and initiatives have also been taken to sign MoUs with potential countries on a priority basis. Besides, experts advised the government to invest in developing need-based skilled manpower for the post COVID-19 world as they believe the demand for jobs like nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers would increase in many countries.

According to data in the ministry, the government has already set up many training centres in different districts along with skill development programmes to create skilful jobseekers. The government encourages documented overseas employment, as an important component of earning foreign currency, adding that the country has sent over 23,21,084 workers in 160 countries since fiscal 2017-18 to May 2020-2021.

According to Bangladesh Bank (BB) data, the migrant workers sent $85,212.76 million as remittance during the same period.

The remittance inflow to the country rebounded in July last year as it was $2,598.21, while the amount of remittance stood at $2,171.11 million in May this year, the data said. Former secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman told BSS that aspirant workers need vaccination as none will be allowed to enter workers’ recipient countries without vaccine. “Without vaccination, every worker needs quarantine with his or her own funds, which will be equivalent around $800-1000. Reduced labour airfare will also be arranged discussing with airliners compared to regular fare,” he said.

Noman added that recruiting agencies are going to shutdown so they need stimulus package to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has set up training centres in different districts of the country to turn the manpower into skilled and semi-skilled forces. The government has sent Bangladeshi workers to 169 countries as a result of its successful labour diplomacy under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and efforts underway to explore new labour markets all over the globe.

The government provided various trainings including diploma in ship building engineering, refrigeration and air-conditioning, general mechanics, electrical machine maintenance, auto CAD 2D and 3D, welding (6G), catering, mason, Korean, Arabic, canton, Japanese language and others. Earlier, the government declared the overseas employment sector as a “thrust sector” with maximum stress upon further expanding job markets for the Bangladeshi job seekers abroad.

(AA)