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Draft Manpower Export Policy

Workers to get punished for crimes, strikes abroad

Rafiq Hasan
For die first time, the government is framing a comprehensive manpower export policy wi tit provisions for punitive actions against expatriate Bangladeshi workers for committing crimes and other offences, breaking discipline and calling strike in thehost country.
The actions include fines, blacklisting, warning, disqualifying from overseas employment and suspension for certain period, official sources said.
The actions will be taken after the workers return home.
The Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment has already prepared the draft policy titled Bangladesh Overseas
Employment Policy (BOEP) and is now seeking opinions of different ministries before finalising it The policy policy will then be sent to the cabinet sub-committee on manpower export headed by the foreign minister for its approval,
"The main objectives of the policy are to explore, promote and develop overseas employment opportuni ties through institutionalising coordination and cooperation among the relevant ministries and international organisations for bringing transparency and discipline in manpower export sector," a top official said.
Under the proposed policy, the offences include desertion and taking leadership or joining a strike or a move to stop work in an organi-
sation where such activities are banned by lawin the host country.
Actionswill also be taken for drug addiction, trafficking of prohibited drugs, gambling, possession of deadly weapons, damaging company property, misappropriation of company funds, prostitution, violation of sacred practices of the host country and breach of employment contract approved by the government, the draft policy said.
"Complaint against a contract worker shall be entertained and commission of crime punishable under law of the host country shall -be a ground for disciplinary action to be taken by the government of Bangladesh," it said.
More than 40 lakh Bangladeshis
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now work abroad and around 2.5 lakh a year go abroad for jobs but there is no comprehensive policy guidelines for this sector.
"We face a lot of problems in exploring new market for overseas employment and maintaining the existing job market without a proper policy," said Dalil Uddin Mondal, expatriate welfare and overseas employment secretary.
The sub-committee will send it to the prime minister, who may permit its publication through a gazette notification or keep it for cabinet approval.
"Though we have completed about three decades of manpower export in its formal shape, we hardly ever tired to bring this extremely vital sector into a cohesive discipline. Such lapses have slowed down its real growth and have deprived our nation as a whole of its true multiplier effect in overall economic development," State Minister for Expatriate Welfare Mohammad Quamrul Islam said in the preface to the draft policy.
The policy would also make registration' of names with the government set-up data bank mandatory for every person willing to go abroad for job. The data bank would help selection of suitable workers and trace their whereabouts in case of any untoward incidents abroad.
Bangladesh International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) is cooperarting in framing the policy.