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Bangladeshi Manpower

UAE may reopen job market

MoU likely during PM's Oct 26-27 visit

Belal Hossain Biplob
The United Arab Emirates could reopen its job market to Bangladeshi male jobseekers withdrawing restrictions imposed two years ago.
Bangladesh and the UAE are scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding in this regard during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit to the Gulf nation between October 26 and 27, said officials at the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry.
If the deal goes through, the middle-eastern country would start hiring Bangladeshi male workers as drivers, cooks, security guards, gardeners and house helps.
The UAE had restricted issuance of visas for Bangladeshi male jobseekers in September, 2012, in connection with several migrant workers' involvement in criminal activities. Female workers were allowed to have visas.
"We have a signing of an MoU with a UAE outsourcing company on the agenda. The company is authorised by its government to hire foreign workers," a joint secretary of the overseas employment ministry told The Daily Star.
Amala, the company, would hire workers after the signing of the agreement
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with the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), the official added.
Officials at the ministry, however, said they had taken effective measures, including jobseeker's mandatory registration, compulsory fingerprints and strict police verification, before sending them abroad.
They expressed hope that the UAE would consider all these measures and reopen its job market.
Bangladesh's manpower export started to decline significantly due to the UAE's visa restriction on Bangladeshi males. Around five lakh Bangladeshi workers are there now.
Before the visa restriction, the UAE used to hire at least two lakh Bangladeshis a year in various sectors, especially construction and cleaning.
But the figure dropped below 20,000 after the restrictions had been imposed, according to the BMET statis-
tics. Last year, the UAE hired 14,241 Bangladeshis and 17,505 between lanuary and September this year.
Bangladesh sent 409,253 jobseekers abroad last year and 308,448 between January and September this year. In 2012, Bangladesh had sent 607,778 workers abroad, according to BMET statistics.
"We hope there will be a breakthrough in the visa restriction issue and opening up of the UAE market for our people during the prime minister's visit," said Muhammad Imran, Bangladesh ambassador to the UAE.
Shafikul Islam, an electrician from Manikganj seeking a job abroad, said, "I have been waiting to go to Dubai for three years. There was scope for jobs in other Gulf states but I didn't take those." He said salaries and other benefits were better in the UAE.
He expected to get good news during the PM's visit.