7-point strategy to tap new manpower export market
January 29, 2008
The caretaker government announced a seven-point strategy to ensure the well-being of the Bangladeshi workers abroad and expand the manpower-export market worldwide by removing the prevailing hurdles, reports UNB.
Foreign and Overseas Employment Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury Wednesday announced the strategy, which includes exploring new manpower-export markets in the Scandinavian, European and East European countries like Norway, Sweden and Romania.
The strategy includes extension of the existing markets in the Middle-East, including Libya, enhancing skills in the English language, exporting manpower from Monga-affected areas, ensuring proper utilisation of remittances, ensuring strong monitoring to check fraud in manpower export, and working together with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the International Migration Organisation (IMO).
Speaking at a press briefing at the Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, the adviser said the government has adopted the strategy as it believes that the country’s prime foreign currency earnings would come from the manpower-export sector.
During the briefing, Overseas Employment secretary Abdul Matin Chowdhury noted that until September last, a total of 8,830 Bangladeshi citizens were in prisons in different countries across the world, either in police custody or under remand. Of them, 1,930 were convicted.
Of the convicts, the highest 636 Bangladeshi nationals are in Saudi jails.
Iftekhar Chowdhury said the Malaysian government is yet to convey any decision about suspending recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. “But, despite that, everyday, on an average, about 700 workers are leaving for Malaysia and the government is working on the issue so that the market could be resumed,” he said.
The caretaker government would deal with the manpower-export business in the new manpower markets taking lesson from Malaysian incidents, he informed. He also said a South Korean delegation is arriving in Dhaka on December 9 to discuss manpower import from Bangladesh.
He noted that an agreement would be signed between the Korean HRD and Bangladesh’s state-owned recruiting agency Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Service Limited (BOESL).
“Korea will recruit about 3,000 workers. Those who are now in Korea will get priority in recruitment as they have command on Korean language,” he added.
The diplomat-turned Adviser said a total of 526,171 Bangladeshi workers have gone abroad for jobs since the present caretaker government assumed office in January 2007.
He informed that a total of 764,903 workers were issued outgoing permits in last 11 months, of which 2,38,000 were waiting to fly. “This figure is the highest in any time in the history.”
The country received US$ 5.78 billion (Tk 40,323 crore) in remittance until November 22. “If the trend continues, the remittance flow will exceed US$ 6 billion,” the Adviser said.
BSS adds: Iftekhar also said the government will also introduce a strict system to monitor manpower recruiting agencies so that none of them could cheat people seeking employment abroad. The government already took action against Kabir Enterprise, for wrongdoings, but its licence was yet to be cancelled, he informed adding that for their misconduct punitive action was also taken against some officials at the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.
The government, if required, would bring back the 49 Bangladeshis agitating in front of Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur as they did not get the jobs they were promised, he said replying to a question. The government was aware, he said, replying to a question, that some people were acting against Bangladesh’s interest in Malaysia.
Action would be taken against such elements in due course, he mentioned. The question of withdrawal of Malaysian ban on Bangladeshi manpower was being discussed by the two governments, he told a questioner.
Bangladeshi workers to join jobs in Feb: Korean envoy
January 29, 2008
Korean language tests essential for recruitement :
The South Korean ambassador in Dhaka, Suk-Bum Park, on Sunday observed that recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in his country depends on how authorities of Dhaka do the preparatory work.
?As we do not have any pre-determined quota for recruiting Bangladeshi nationals under the Employment Permit System, the number of workers we will take depends on how the BOESL deals with this,? he said after the signing ceremony at the lone public recruiting agency?s office.
In March South Korea officially announced that it would recruit 10,000 overseas workers from four countries ? Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Kyrgyzstan ? in the 2007-2008 period under the Employment Permit System.
A deal styled ?Service Commitment Agreement? was signed between the two countries for recruitment of Bangladeshi workers under Korea?s EPS for foreigners.
Mahbubur Rahman, managing director of the Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd, and Kim Yong Dal, president of the Human Resources Development under the Korean labour ministry, signed the agreement on behalf of their governments.
When he was asked when the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers would begin, the top Korean envoy said that it was too early to answer that question, but he hinted that the first batch of Bangladeshi workers would join their jobs in Korea by February.
Abdul Matin Chowdhury, expatriates? welfare and overseas employment secretary who was also present at the signing ceremony, said that the names of aspirant Bangladeshi workers who had passed the Korean language test would be sent to the HRD in Korea. Then the list of Bangladeshi nationals will be submitted to the Korean employers.
?The final selection depends on the Korean employers, said the secretary.
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
U.S. Department of Labor reports on nature of Child Labor in Bangladesh
December 2, 2007
Bangladesh
Incidence and Nature of Child Labor
The ILO estimated that 26.9 percent of children ages 10 to 14 years in Bangladesh were working in 2002.[324] Reports indicate that children are found working in hundreds of different activities, 47 of which are regarded as harmful to the children’s physical and mental well-being.[325] Children are frequently found working in the agricultural sector and in the informal sector.[326] Children are also often found working in a variety of potentially hazardous occupations and sectors, including bidi (hand-rolled cigarette) factories, construction, leather tanneries, fisheries, automobile repair, welding, bangle-making, rickshaw-pulling, matches manufacturing, brick-breaking, book binding, and the garment industry.[327] In urban areas many children work as domestic servants, porters, and street vendors, and are vulnerable to sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation.[328] In addition, many children are also reported to be involved with criminal gangs engaged in arms and drug trading and smuggling.[329]
Children are trafficked internally, externally, and through Bangladesh for purposes of domestic service, marriage, sale of organs, bonded labor, and sexual exploitation.[330] The problem of child trafficking is compounded by the low rate of birth registration, since children without legal documents have no proof that they are underage, and the lack of enforcement at the borders.[331] India and the Middle East are the primary destinations for trafficked children.[332] Children are trafficked from rural areas of Bangladesh to its larger cities, and to countries in the Gulf region and the Middle East.[333] Young boys are trafficked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar to work as camel jockeys.[334] However, some progress has been made in stemming the trafficking of children to the region.[335]
Education is free and compulsory for children ages 6 to 10 years.[336] Bangladesh has achieved near gender parity in primary school enrollment.[337] In 2001, the gross primary enrollment rate was 97.5 percent, and the net primary enrollment rate was 86.6 percent.[338] Gross and net enrollment ratios are based on the number of students formally registered in primary school and therefore do not necessarily reflect actual school attendance. In 2000, the gross primary attendance rate was 112 percent and the net primary attendance rate was 75.9 percent.[339] As of 2000, 65.5 percent of children who started primary school were likely to reach grade 5.[340] The quality of primary education in Bangladesh is poor, in part due to inadequately trained teachers, teacher absenteeism, inadequate number of teaching hours, and a lack of physical facilities.[341]
Child Labor Laws and Enforcement
The minimum age for employment varies according to sector. The Employment of Children Act prohibits children younger than 12 years of age from working in 10 sectors including the tanning, bidi, carpet, cloth, cement, and fireworks manufacturing sectors. The Act also prohibits children younger than 15 years of age from working in railways or ports.[342] The Mines Act prohibits children under 15 years of age from working in mines.[343] The Factories Act and Factories Rules establish 14 years as the minimum age for employment in factories,[344] and the Children’s Act of 1974 prohibits the employment of children younger than 15 years as beggars and in brothels.[345] The majority of child workers are found in the agriculture and domestic work sectors, but there are no specific laws covering the informal sectors.[346] The Constitution forbids all forms of forced labor.[347]
The Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act prohibits inducing underage females into prostitution.[348] The Suppression of Violence against Women and Children Act, passed in 2000, protects children from sexual harassment and maiming for the use of begging or the selling of body parts, and it gives the courts the power to compensate victims with fines imposed on offenders.[349] The legal definitions of prostitution and trafficking do not account for males, so the government provides few services for boy victims of child prostitution.[350] The Extradition Act enables the government to order traffickers who live or have escaped to other countries home for trial.[351] The government provides some limited support to returned trafficked victims, but shelters are inadequate to meet their needs. In most cases the government refers victims to private shelters run by local organizations.[352]
The Office of the Chief Inspector of Factories under the Ministry of Labor and Employment is designated to enforce and implement labor legislation.[353] However, due to a lack of manpower and corrupt government officials, child labor laws are seldom enforced outside the formal sector.[354] The National Children’s Council monitors the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and is the highest authority for overall policy guidance on child development.[355] Government officials have arrested, prosecuted and assigned prison sentences to some traffickers, have created a trafficking monitoring unit within the police force, and have designated some prosecutors to focus on trafficking cases full-time. Particularly since June 2004, the government has concentrated its efforts and has been more successful in prosecuting traffickers and clearing old trafficking cases.[356] However, the courts system is overwhelmed by roughly one million excess cases and public corruption is rampant. In addition, traffickers are often charged with lesser crimes, which makes trafficking cases difficult to quantify.[357] Those who perpetrate commercial sexual crimes against children in Bangladesh often do so with impunity, as charges are frequently never filed or are filed under statutes with minimal penalties.[358]
Current Government Policies and Programs to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor
The Government of Bangladesh is working to eliminate child labor through the implementation of action programs, stipends, rehabilitation and reintegration programs, and promoting universal access to education.[359] The ILO-IPEC program in Bangladesh is currently implementing eight programs totaling USD 12.7 million to eliminate child labor through awareness raising, education opportunities for children, income generating alternatives for families, and capacity building of partner organizations.[360] These programs include USDOL-funded projects to eliminate child labor in the garment sector and in five hazardous industries, including bidis,[361] construction, leather tanneries, matches, and domestic service in the homes of third parties.[362] USAID is supporting efforts to eradicate hazardous child labor in other sectors.[363]
The Government of Bangladesh has demonstrated significant efforts since the end of 2004 to more fully comply with the U.S. Trafficking Victims and Protection Act of 2000. Recent efforts include 47 trafficking prosecutions resulting in 62 individual convictions between June and December 2004; the establishment of a police anti-trafficking unit; arrests of several public officials for complicity in trafficking crimes; the rescue of more than 160 victims; and the creation of an inter-ministerial committee on trafficking.[364] The government is also collaborating extensively with the NGO community on efforts to combat child trafficking in the areas of prevention, research, advocacy, awareness raising, enforcement, rehabilitation, and legislative reform.[365] Bangladesh is one of six countries included in a USDOL-funded ILO-IPEC Asia project to combat child trafficking for labor and sexual exploitation.[366] With the support of UNICEF and ILO-IPEC, the government is implementing the National Plan of Action on Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children, which aims to raise awareness, sensitize law enforcement officials, work with schools, and improve laws to combat trafficking of children.[367] The government is supporting a major national anti-trafficking prevention campaign to increase awareness of the problem among vulnerable groups.[368] This year, with support from IOM, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs launched a strategic initiative outlining a framework of action for the government, NGOs, and civil society to combat trafficking. IOM also collaborated with the Ministry of Home Affairs to carry out training sessions in several districts to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies and immigration officials to address trafficking in Bangladesh.[369]
The Government of Bangladesh has made progress in improving the quality of and access to basic education, with significant advances in the number and quality of school facilities; curriculum revision; provision of textbooks; and enhanced management practices.[370] The Government of Bangladesh is implementing a second phase of the National Plan of Action for Education for All for the period 2003 to 2015, which embraces all of the goals of EFA for making education compulsory, accessible, and all-inclusive.[371] Recent government efforts have included the abolition of tuition fees for primary schools, the establishment of a 500 million taka (USD 8.7 million) stipend program, and a “food for education” program.[372]
Due to critical needs in its education system, the Government of Bangladesh is receiving intensified support from the World Bank and several other donors in order to expedite its eligibility for fast track financing for the Education for All program.[373] In February 2004, a multi-donor consortium announced the Primary Education Development Program (PEDP II), which aims to enhance the quality, access to, and efficiency of primary education by operationalizing key aspects of the government’s EFA and Poverty Reduction strategies.[374] As part of its Country Program 2001–2005, the World Food Program provides meals for non-formal primary education students in areas with low enrollment. The Program also provides supplementary snacks and skills training to adolescent girls.[375]
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA)
December 2, 2007
History & Background of BAIRA
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) is one of the largest trade bodies in Bangladesh affiliated with the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the apex body on Trade & Industry, established in 1984 with a view to catering the needs of the licensed recruiting agencies who are engaging themselves in promoting manpower market abroad and deploy a good number of unemployed Bangladeshi manpower in various foreign countries after imparting necessary training.
Currently BAIRA has about 700 Government Approved Recruiting Agents as its member.
ACHIEVEMENTS :
Manpower is one of the major national resources of Bangladesh. About 35 million people constitute this vast reservoir of manpower. Fortunately Bangladesh is steadily turning her manpower into an asset through training and skill development with a view to meeting the needs of a modern economy.
It is not possible for Bangladesh to absorb the full range of available unskilled, semi-skilled and professional manpower within the country in an appropriate manner and hence the need to find employment opportunities for them abroad till her economy could absorb them locally. There are also a number of foreign countries who are in need of importing manpower from other countries. Today Bangladesh is considered as a good source.
With a modes beginning in 1976, Bangladesh has, by now, become a notable exporter of manpower. Between 1976 to 2001 a total of more than three million Bangladeshis have been able to secure employment in foregn countries, particularly in countries of the Middle East and Malaysia, Singapore of south Korea through the members of BAIRA. The Bangladeshis currently working abroad range from domestic aides to Atomic Scientists. The main objective of the BAIRA members is to ensure supply of quality manpower at a minimum cost within the time schedule given by the employers.
With a view to ensuring the financial security of migrating workers BAIRA, has already undertaken two Insurance Schemes: one for the workers before their departure and the other is for their families left behind, through BAIRA Life Insurance Company Limited, an affiliated organ of BAIRA.
In addition, BAIRA is going to set up a Bank to ensure quick and easy monitory transaction service to the members of BAIRA and the migrating workers, in addition to the public in general.
A sophisticated and highly technical & vocational training center is coming up shortly to impart training to our youths in modern developed technology including Information Technology (IT), to cater to the need of the country and our valued overseas employers. To ensure proper medical check-up of the migrant workers BAIRA is setting up a modern Medical Testing Center with elaborate facilities. These will be in addition to the existing facilities already available with some of the reputed members if BAIRA.
BAIRA arranges short term foreign language course & briefing sessions before allowing the selected workers to emigrate.
Availability of Manpower in Bangladesh
December 2, 2007
Unemployed labor force of Bangladesh is estimated to be about 15 million. Beside a huge number of un-skilled labor force, skilled, semi-skilled and professional manpower is also available for foreign employment. Some relevant data in this regard are given below:-
(A) TECHNICAL MANPOWER:
Skilled workers and technicians play a key role in all sectors of the economy. To produce skilled technicians there are mid-level technical and vocational training systems in the country. Mid level technical education is provided after tenth year of schooling. Polytechnic sub-system offers well organized 3 year’s diploma courses in engineering and technology. There are twenty one Polytechnic Institutes in the country with annual intake capacity of 5268 students. Besides Polytechnics, there are a number of agricultural and allied industrial, textile and leather technology institutes and commercial institutes and other specialized polytechnic institutes offering diploma level course in their respective fields.
There is an Islamic Institute of Technology IIT (formerly Islamic Center for Technical & Vocational Training & Research, ICTVTR), a subsidiary organ of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The Center has been mandated to help develop the vast human resources of the member states and provide technical training of international standard needed for the industrial, economic and social development of Muslim Ummah through offering of long regular courses in engineering and technologies and trades and organizing short and special knowledge and skill updating courses along with technological and industrial research and research in the field of human resources development with particular emphasis on technical and vocational education. In IIT a great variety of academic and training programs are offered starting from the lowest trade Level to the highest Post Graduate Diploma and Master’s Degree in Technical Education encompassing Certificates and Diploma in Vocational Education, Diploma a B.Sc. in Technical Education, Higher Diploma and B.Sc. Engineering Degree in Electrical and Electronic and Mechanical Engineering with various specialization in different rare technologist, such as Computer Science and Technology, Power System, CAD/CAM, Energy, Production and instrumentation Engineering.
There are 51 Vocational Training Institutes (VTI’s) and 13 Technical Training Centers (IIC’s) and 1 Bangladesh Institute of Marine Technology (BIMT) which cater to the training needs for craftsmen in the basic trades. Diploma in Marine Technology is also offered from BIMT. The Marine Academy at Juldia, Chittagong turn out certificated officers for merchant navy. 13 TTC’s and 1 BIMT produce annually about 7,000 highly skilled technicians on different trades, suitable for overseas employment. Tele Communication Engineers and Technicians tradesmen skilled in basic engineering and building trades like electricians, petrol/diesel mechanics, air conditioning mechanics, radio/TV mechanics, fabricators, marine mechanist, molders, tatters, plumbers, pipe fitters, painters, steel fixtures, carpenters, masons, garments workers, draftsmen, etc. are available for employment.
Testing facilities on different occupations are available in the modern Technical Training Centers both in public & sectors.
(B) MEDICAL MANPOWER :
Bangladesh has facilities for imparting graduate and post-graduate medical education and training in the country. Facilities exist in the country for turning out 2500 medical graduates and 200 dental surgeons every year. More than 5000 General Physicians (graduates) are now available for employment abroad. A good number of specialized consultants/ physicians are also available for overseas employment. Facilities to train Blood Bank Technicians, Radio Therapist, x-ray technicians, Radiographers, compounders, Dressers, Dental Technicians, Health Assistant, Sanitary Inspectors, etc. also exist in the country. Bangladesh has about 47000 paramedics and medical personnel available for employment at home and abroad. There are also 38 Nursing Training Institutes which offer 4 years Diploma course (including one year Midwifery) in other countries with excellent professional reputation. At present 8500 Diploma and 800 Graduate nurses are available for foreign employment.
(C) ENGINEERING MANPOWER :
Engineering Institutes (2 University of Engineering & Technology, 4 Bangladesh Institute of Technology, 4 Engineering College and 1 Marine Academy) produce about 1000 Graduate Engineers annually. In addition 21 Polytechnic Institutes in the country produce about 3000 Diploma Engineers annually.
At Present about 1000 Engineers and 25000 Technicians are available for employment at home and abroad.
(D) INDUSTRIAL MANPOWER :
The country’s industries employ about 1.5 million workers of different categories. Professional, managerial, administrative, technical, skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers including experienced garments workers, both male and female with several years of experience in different industrial fields are available for overseas employment.
(E) COMPUTER PERSONNEL :
Bangladesh has now a large number of Computer Operators, Computer Engineers (both Hardware and Software), Programmers, Web Page Developer, Networking Specialist, System Analyst, etc. available for overseas employment.
(F) POWER STATION, PETROLEUM, AND FERTILIZER MANPOWER :
Bangladesh has vast reservoir of professional, highly skilled and skilled manpower in electricity/power, petroleum and fertilizer sectors.
(G) ROAD TRANSPORT WORKERS :
Professional, technical and skilled personnel experienced in operation, repair and maintenance of all categories of vehicles including trucks and heavy vehicle equipment’s are available for employment.
H) MANPOWER FOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, INSURANCE, AUDIT AND
ACCOUNTS :
Bangladesh has a network of commercial Bank and Financial Institutions covering even the remotest areas of the country. Persons experienced in central banking operations are also available in Bangladesh. Normally University Graduates are recruited for supervisory and managerial postions in the bangking institutions and they are traind through a scheme for training for bankers. In addition, the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Mangement provides higher training of international standard to in-sevice banking persdonnel. Similarly, Chartered Accountants Cost Managemnt Accounts, Actuaries, and persons with long experience in Insurance business, Government and Commercial Audit and Accounting are available in the Country, and they can be spared for service abroad.
(I) PORT AND WATER TRANSPORT WORKERS :
Personas of all categories needed for administration and operation of port facilities are available. These include inland Masters, Engine Drivers, Oil Men, Pre-sea Trained Nautical Caders, Stevedores, Tally Clears, Crane Op[ertors, Fort Lift Operators, Riggers, Secrurity Personnel, Management Personnel and other categories of Personnel. They have international level of efficiency to the credit.
(J) AGRICULTURAL, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, FISHERIES, LIVESTOCK, HORTICULTURE
EXPERTS, TECHNICALS AND FARMERS:
There are two Agricultural Universities and 10 Agricultural College and several training institutes in the country offering degrees, diplomas and certificates of educaiton and training in agricultue, animal husbandry, forestry, fisheries, lifvestock, horticulture and related fields. Experts with Bachelor’s Master’s and Ph.D. degrees and technicians with several years’ experience in agricultural development, livestock, fisheries, forestry horticulture development and research activities are available in the country, in addition skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled shepherds with sufficient experience are also available for foreign emplyment.
(K) UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE/SCHOOL TEACHERS :
A large number of persons with university degrees in engineering science, humanities, fine arts and sicial sciences with experience of teaching in Schools, Colleges and Universities are available in the country for foreign employment.
(L) ADMINISTRATIVE AND DEFENSE PERSONNEL :
To man public administration Bangladesh with Bachelor’s , Master’s and Ph.D degrees and specialized training and long experience in public administration are available for employment. Besides, persons educated and experienced in eeconomic planning and research are also available for overseas employment. Retired army, navy and air force personnel with adequate experience can also be devloyed abroad for manning defense and security services.
(M) HOTEL MANAGEMENT AND CATERING STAFF:
A large number of Bangladeshi hotel personnel are working in various reputed hotels abroad, mainly in the Middle Eastern countries. The Hotel Management Training Institute run by Bangladesh Tourism Corporation turns out a good number of trained hotel personnel every year. All catergories of trained hotel staff experience or working in five star hotels can be provided for the departments of food and beverage, house keeping, front office, accounts and engineering.
(N) MARINE CREW :
Bangladesh has a large number of qualified and experienced Ship/Cargo/Vessel Crew possessing Continuous Discharge Certificates (C.D.C.) Crew can be provided from Bangladesh at short notice. Certificated merchant navy officers are also available for overseas employment.
(O) MISCELLANEOUS MANPOWER:
Qualified photographers, printers, printing technicians, journalists, translators, musical entertainers, operators, tailors, sewing men, barbers, shoe makers, domestic servants, house keepers, cleaners and all types of semi skilled an unskilled workers are available for employment abroad. Besides, Bangladesh has a huge numbers of manual workers to do heavy and difficult jobs like agricultural work, plantation, timber extraction, pottering and excavation work, etc.
QUALITIES OF WORKERS:
Bangladeshi workers are loyal, disciplined, hardworking and have the rare quality of adaptability to new situation.
Big Picture of HR Recruitment in Bangladesh
December 2, 2007
From my experience so far in the field of human resource recruitment, I have discovered that there are various challenges that HR recruiting agencies face in Bangladesh. The primary challenge is to track down the most qualified people within a reasonable amount of time from a huge population suffering from appropriate media access. There are difficulties in screening and the selection of candidates too. Prevailing skills gaps in the country is a major reason behind the former; and lack of presentation, communication, and English language skills even in many educated people accounts for the latter.
There are few common media platforms in Bangladesh to bridge the gap between jobseekers and recruiters that can accelerate quality matching process. Till now, the most preferred communication tool is job postings in newspapers, magazines and campus notice boards. However, since there are too many newspapers in the market, postings in only one or two newspapers cannot ensure the optimum reach to the entire target audience. Also, the quality of education at many universities is questionable.
At present, there are few online job portals in Bangladesh. There again the problem is somewhat similar. Everyone in the target audience does not have timely internet access or any regular access at all. Many at least have online profiles, but do not regularly update their résumés or leave their résumés incomplete with missing information that is often required to meet the short listing criteria.
Finally, in response to job postings in printed media, many unemployed people with irrelevant backgrounds submit their curriculum vitaes which increases the time required for screening out the most suitable candidates. All these significantly hamper the efficiency of communication between the parties and make the searching process harder.
On the part of professional HR recruiting agencies, sometimes it is hard to select the right candidate who is best suited for the vacancies at the client organizations. Often, clients do not initially want to disclose their names or the salary range of the incumbent in the job postings. This intensifies the difficulties for the recruiters in searching. For example, on one hand, since there is no specification regarding offered salary, the most eligible people who are already employed elsewhere do not eagerly apply for the job, being confused whether the job will meet their salary expectation at all. On the other hand, many other unqualified people apply just because they are out of jobs right then and have time to do so. Ultimately, the yield is very low from the search.
Sometimes clients also fail to clearly identify their needs. Most of them provide the recruiters with very broad, generalized job specifications of the vacancies which do not communicate the most important qualifications that candidates must have. Without specific knowledge of such requirement, it is hard to find out the right candidate. In such cases, usually the candidates are selected through generalized testing methods which hardly evaluate the qualifications required of them. At times, strong references for ineligible candidates diminish the efficiency of screening process even further. Often, managers at many organizations lack professional training in HRM and may have a reactive approach towards staffing. They want to give the briefest description of the job as possible, so that they can focus on their other job duties. Many times, the emphasis is on the speed of the recruitment, rather than on placing the right individual for the position from the perspective of qualifications and fit into the company culture.
Regardless of who or what accounts for the actual reason for these difficulties, recruiting agencies faces many of these challenges as an inevitable part of their job.
Hence, finding the right candidate for the right job is more challenging than it may seem. It is like a search for the right gems out of a vast quarry. Sometimes we find a diamond when the client is looking for a ruby - so timing and need is another complexity to this issue.
Bangladesh: Art of tangail weavers struggling to survive
December 2, 2007
The economy as well as weavers of Tangail district are going through their toughest time as 50,000 handlooms shut because of high prices of raw materials like yarn and dye.
Weavers from this region have been facing difficulties over the last several years. Prices of cloths including saris did not increase in accordance with the rates of yarn, dye and other materials needed to produce them.
Statistics show that the price of one bale of yarn increased at least Tk10,000 compared to last year. Rate of a bell of Gulshan-82 yarn saw a swell of Tk13,200, that of Nahid-82 was up Tk12,000; Setu-82’s price rose by Tk15,000, Saiham-82 by Tk 13,000 and Delta-82 by Tk 14,000. All these rates are in comparison to that of last year.
Few organizations are urging the Government to pay heed to the prevailing pathetic situation of the weavers and let them import yarns which are much cheaper in the international market. This is the only way to keep alive the famous handicraft which is struggling to survive.
Tangail District in Bangladesh is the home of world famous tangail saree. It is a handloom saree that is made of both cotton and silk threads. This saree has hand-woven butti design, flowery fabrication or modern art motiff which has been appreciated and marked a place in the hearts of thousands of women the world over.