Diversifying manpower export market
December 7, 2008
GLOBAL economic slowdown appears to have a negative impact on Bangladesh’s manpower export sector. Employment prospects in Saudi Arabia, the single largest destination for thousands of overseas job seekers, has shrunk since July last as Riyadh has almost halted issuing fresh visas to the aspiring Bangladeshis.
According to statistics of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), some 20,980 Bangladeshis have found jobs in Saudi Arabia in July-October period of this year against 75,663 in the same period of last 2007 year. The BMET data also showed that some 1,624 Bangladeshis found jobs in Saudi Arabia during November 1-26 against 23,432 people found jobs in the same period last year.
According to reports published in the local media last week, it’s not only due to global economic slowdown, but also due to propaganda against Bangladeshi workers, which is being carried out by a section of Saudi media, controlled by journalists of two South Asian manpower exporting rivals. Such section of the media deliberately publish exaggerated reports involving Bangladeshi workers there, which has fuelled Riyadh’s anger and caused a near stoppage of recruitment of Bangladesh workers over last few months.
There are nearly 1.75 million Bangladeshis living and working in Saudi Arabia. Most of those Bangladeshis, who are now leaving Dhaka for Saudi Arabia, got visas before August. Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) president, called on the Saudi Ambassador Abdullah bin Naser Al-Bosairi to discuss this issue. He said the situation is expected to improve from next year. The Saudi ambassador assured him that Saudi Arabia will gradually soften its position in recruiting more manpower from Bangladesh.
In spite of its falling revenue due to drastic decline in oil prices which is the fallout of world economic meltdown, Saudi Arabia requires over a million workers to support its newly launched infrastructure development projects. Some 128,540 Bangladeshis found jobs in Saudi Arabia in the past ten months (January to October) this year against 161,488 jobs in the same period last year, according to statistics of the BMET. Until last year, manpower export was registering a phenomenal growth. The export figures from the year 2006 doubled in 2007, according to statistics released by the foreign ministry recently. The ministry also says that the Saudi government continues to import manpower from Bangladesh, contrary to recent media reports claiming otherwise.
The number of workers cleared to work overseas in 2007 was 0.83 million, up from 0.38 million in 2006. Meanwhile, a total of 0.16 million workers have already left for work abroad in the first two months of the current year, compared to 78,000 in the same period last year. The foreign ministry press release also says 20,200 workers have already gone for work to Saudi Arabia alone and the flow continues, adding that a Saudi company — a concern of Dallah Group — is currently recruiting semi-skilled and skilled professionals from Bangladesh.
In order to rejuvenate the manpower export market, Bangladesh government now wants to make a number of high-level visits to Saudi Arabia to iron out the differences on it issues. The ministry said they are stepping up efforts to reduce difficulties faced by Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia. The ministry has meanwhile urged Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia to work in a way “that the host government is not unduly embarrassed.
Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus in a recent visit to Saudi Arabia said that Bangladeshis do not break the law more than other communities in the desert kingdom, which is the destination for the highest numbers of Bangladeshi workers. But the media of that country is playing a foul game. A number of reports have appeared in the Saudi media alleging Bangladeshi workers’ involvement in murder, snatching and burglaries.
Such a situation demands involvement of some agencies that would promote employment of Bangladesh workers, particularly skilled ones, in the large number of prospective employer countries. In this matter, the government may give all facilities to BOESL, and maybe also involve NGOs like BRAC and Grameen Bank to promote employment of Bangladesh workers abroad.
The country’s manpower export issue was thoroughly analysed by the Royal Danish Embassy, Dhaka in their report Vision 2015, Bangladesh as a Leading Manpower Exporter January 2008, and by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute in their study on Policy and Public Benefit Interventions. All these reports were directed to help Bangladesh achieve annual migrant remittances of $ 30 billion by 2015.
From these reports it can be seen that the possibilities of manpower export are enormous. For example, there is a worldwide shortage of qualified nurses, and Bangladesh has got practically millions of unemployed women. Other skilled workers like carpenters, plumbers, auto-mechanics, air-conditioning technicians, and so the list goes on. Also there are qualified technical workers like IT engineers, computer experts etc.
In one sense, Bangladesh is practically surviving on the remittances of its workers. The total remittance in the year 2006-2007 was $6.0 billion, and the remittance for the period July-December 2007 was $3.44 billion. For the year 2007-2008 the remittance is likely to exceed $7.0 billion. Ironically, although the government and the country are reaping huge benefits from wage earners’ remittances, not enough is being done to administer the whole business of manpower export, which is really the goose that is laying the golden egg.
If one examines the whole manpower business in depth, be numerous underhanded dealings, both by the recruiting agents and the agents abroad, would be found. False passports, false visas, false recruitments proliferate on Bangladesh side. And in overseas, if a company has 100 vacancies the foreign agents may take out permission for 1000 vacancies, and Bangladesh workers who land up in the foreign country are left stranded without a job.
Presently, almost all job seekers are hostage to the unscrupulous recruiting agents in Bangladesh and also to their counterparts in the country of employment. Actually, most large companies and government agencies abroad do not charge any money from the workers they employ. The lower grade employees of the overseas companies tie up with some local agents and charge money for any recruitment. The entire business of manpower export requires review by a group of professionals as Bangladesh can benefit much more from it than it does at present.
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President urges Brunei to recruit skilled manpower
December 7, 2008
“Brunei can recruit more Bangladeshi doctors, engineers, IT experts, nurses, pharmacists and teachers to meet the manpower requirement of her growing economy,” he said while the newly appointed High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam to Bangladesh Haji Abdul Razak Bin Haji Mohammad Hussaini presented his credentials to the President at Bangabhaban in the city.
Decline in remittances likely: The govt. should take necessary steps
August 27, 2008
Remittance by non-resident Bangladeshis rose by 31 percent in the first nine months of the current fiscal year from that of the same period last fiscal year. According to the report, Bangladesh Bank as saying that remittances in the July-May period this FY totaled more than 7.16 billion US dollar equivalent to 49, 060 crore taka against 5.46 billion dollar in the corresponding period of last FY. But economists fear that the rise may face a downward trend as major labour markets in Bahrain and Malaysia have banned fresh manpower recruitment from Bangladesh.
The government should take all necessary steps to convince the two countries to change their decisions. Failing which would badly affect the remittance inflow. Another debacle in getting foreign jobs is the lack of command of the language of the country of destination. The director of the Institute of Modern Languages has said that learning foreign languages could help people, especially young people, get good jobs at home and abroad. Procedural bungling also greatly hampers manpower export to foreign countries forcing thousands of job seekers to wait for indefinite periods.
Some 14,000 workers completed all formalities for flying to Malaysia but their departure was delayed for long just because the flights couldn’t carry more than 700 people daily. This was a great loss for the country. The debacle happened amid government’s failure to find new destinations of employment abroad in the past years. Remittances from non-resident workers are very important for the country’s economy. The government must understand we need to export manpower for earning foreign exchange. Besides, manpower export is a big solace to our unemployment problem. Hence the government should try to address the problem at the earliest.
Association of Recruiting Agencies engaged in Manpower Export (BAIRA)
December 2, 2007
Association of Recruiting Agencies engaged in Manpower Export (BAIRA)
There are about seven hundred licensed private recruiting agents engaged in manpower export. They have association under the name and style of Bangladesh Association international Recruiting Agencies (BAI RA). BAIRA cooperates With the Ministry in implementing rules, regulation and directives of the Ministry. The present number of BAIRA members is 1028.
Aims and Objectives of BAIRA
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To promote and protect the rights and interests of the members of the association in particular and the trade, commerce and industries of Bangladesh in general;
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To promote, advise and assist in the business activities of the members of the association, to make all out efforts for providing Bangladeshis with job abroad;
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To co-ordinate the activities of the licensed recruiting agents approved by the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh for arranging employment’s of Bangladesh abroad and to create unity amongst the licensed recruiting agents;
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To develop an understanding and awareness of Government notification, rules and regulations regarding the overseas employment of manpower amongst the member recruiting agents;
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To advise Government to amend, alter or modify orders in this regard from time to time keeping the interest of the country;
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To take all steps by lawful means that may be necessary for promoting, supporting or opposing legislation or any other action effecting the general interests of member recruiting agents;
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To establish close and intimate liaison with foreign missions in Bangladesh with a view to provide employment of Bangladeshi citizens in their respective countries;
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To keep in touch with Bangladesh Embassies or other reliable agencies for creating job opportunities for Bangladeshi citizens in different countries;
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To invite delegations from countries having potential for employment of skilled and un-skilled Bangladeshi workers with a view to acquainting them with the vast hard working manpower available in Bangladesh, after getting prior permission form the Government;
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To assist Government and non-Government delegations coming to Bangladesh to select appropriate manpower by cultivating close liaison with them;
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To send delegation from the association abroad for creating proper awareness amongst the intending employers about skilled and un-skilled workers of Bangladesh;
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To print brochures, booklets and leaflets of skilled workers of Bangladesh and circulate these abroad with the help of Government;
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To make efforts to ensure distribution of all privileges and facilities to all member recruiting agents fairly and equitably;
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To distribute all offers received by the association for employment in the private and the public sectors equitably amongst the member-recruiting agents;
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To create association’s own Trade Institute in order to assist each and every member-recruiting agent appropriate and capable manpower;
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To establish association’s own training center to assist and offer training to all candidates selected for employment abroad on manners, customs and foreign languages etc;
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To assist all member-recruiting agents about rules, regulations, procedures, visa entry permits by procuring them from different countries and making them available to the members;
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To make all efforts and take all steps to remove difficulties and bottlenecks faced by the member-agents;
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To remove difficulties and inconveniences of the workers sent abroad by the member-recruiting agents ;
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To make efforts to remove complaints and misunderstanding amongst the foreign employers about manpower sent by member-recruiting agents;
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To maintain regular liaison by visits of responsible executives to overseas employers and their Bangladeshi employees;
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To organize welfare measures for the Bangladeshi workers abroad and their beneficiaries at home;
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To encourage the Bangladeshi workers working abroad for remit maximum of their foreign exchange earning to the country through regular official channels;
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To encourage and advise the Bangladeshi migrants abroad and their beneficiaries at home for investments of investments of their foreign exchanges in the productive pursuits in the country;
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To undertake initiatives for repatriation and payment of compensation to the persons wrongly selected and sent abroad;
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To provide assistance for bringing the dead body of Bangladesh workers to the country or for its proper disposal, as the case may be, in co-operation with foreign employers;
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To obtain labor laws of the labor importing countries and to disseminate the information of those laws among the Bangladeshi migrant workers;
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To fix annual target of business for each member agency and to help them to achieve the same;
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To monitor the monthly activities for the member agencies to the Ministry of Labor and Manpower, Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training and Bangladesh Manpower Planning Center through a proforma to be prepared by Bangladesh Manpower Planning Center;
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To submit annual report to the Ministry of Labor and Employment by each member agency dealing with their total activities during every calendar year.
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To report to Ministry, Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training and Bangladesh Manpower Planning Center the amount of fees actually charged from job seekers of various categories;
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To explore job market in different parts of the world in addition to the countries in the Middle East;
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To explore job opportunities for skilled and professional personnel as well;
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To set-up branch offices as an when required in different parts of the country & the globe with a view to fulfilling the aims and objects of the association;
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To do all such other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects
Bangladesh Overseas Employment & Services Ltd. (BOESL)
December 2, 2007
Bangladesh Overseas Employment & Services Ltd. (BOESL)
To earn the much needed foreign exchange by way of exporting professional, skilled & un-skilled manpower the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh established Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) in 1984. This is the only Company created by the Government to operate in healthy competition with about 600 private recruiting agencies in the country in this sector. The main purpose of creating this Company is to provide honest, efficient and quick services to the valued foreign employers in the matter of deployment of manpower development.List of the members of the Board of Directors of BOESL
1. Secretary, Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare & Overseas Employment: Chairman
2. Director General. Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training : Director
3. Joint Sec., Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare & Overseas Employment : Director
4. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs : Director
5. Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs : Director
6. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance : Director
7. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation & Tourism : Director
Bureau of Manpower, Employment & Training (BMET)
December 2, 2007
Bureau of Manpower, Employment & Training (BMET)
Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) was established in the year 1976 by the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh as an attached department of the then Ministry of Manpower Development and Social Welfare with specific purpose of meeting the manpower requirement of the country and for export of manpower as well. BMET is engaged for over all planning and implementation of the strategies for proper utilization of manpower of the country.
Presently BMET is under administrative control of Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment. Bureau is performing all functions relating to migration process including licensing of recruiting agents. Through 14 (Fourteen) Technical Training Centers (T.T.C), 1 Institute of Marine Technology and 3 Apprenticeship Training Office BMET imparting training in different employable trades.
BMET Activities :
BMET is engaged in human resources development and to provide employment services both in country and also abroad. The functions can be summarized with the following main tasks:
- To monitor and control legal process of manpower export.
- To Look after the welfare of Bangladeshi workers abroad.
- To provide institution based vocational and technical training in different employable trades.
- To plan and implement development programs to conduct training activities.
- Conducting informal, formal and special training course.
- Coordinate Apprenticeship training.
- Processing of foreign demands for recruitment of Bangladeshi workers.
- Implementation of self-employment programs.
- Collection and dissemination of labour market information.
- Regulates private Recruiting Agents those recruit Bangladeshi workers for foreign employers.
- To increase legal remittance through banks and combat money laundering.
- To combat illegal trafficking and harassment for better image of Bangladesh.
- Registration of Job seekers for overseas employment market in the Computer database Network.
Since its establishment BMET has started serving both skilled and non-skilled professionals as well as classified labour force emigrating with overseas employment. Most of these employment offers are privately arranged by either individuals or Licensed Recruiting Agencies (RA). Most of these licensed agencies are members of Government of Bangladesh recognized association known as BAIRA (Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies). Besides, there is another government agency called BOESL (Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited). It was established in 1984. It is only government agency dealing with recruiting of labour migrants demanded directly through the BMET. This is the only Company created by the Government to operate in healthy competition with private recruiting agencies in the country in this sector. The main purpose of creating this Company is to provide honest, efficient and quick services to the valued foreign employers in the matter of deployment of manpower development.
Offices :
- 21 District Employment & Manpower Office.
- 14 Technical Training Centre and 1 Institute of Marine Technology.
- 03 Apprenticeship Training Office.