Thriving manpower sector: Iraq’s labour market reopens creating new ray
Reza Mahmud :
Overcoming huge hurdles, Iraq’s labour market has reopened for Bangladeshi workers after a long gap of seven years.
About 180 workers were left country for Iraq on Thursday which the stakeholders Sources said, with the overall support of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and the initiative of recruiting agency Al Rotan (Pvt.) Ltd. it has become possible to send workers again to this Middle Eastern country.
Stakeholders expressed happiness saying resuming the vital destination, manpower sector will be thriving again.
Meanwhile, leaders from Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) stressed on the government to gear up efforts for opening new labour markets as there are huge countries across the world are suffering from manpower shortages.
When contacted Freedom Fighter Ali Haider Chowdhury, former Secretary General of BAIRA and Director, East West Human Resource Center Ltd. told The New Nation on Thursday, “Reopening Iraq labour market for our manpower is a good news.
But the government has to strengthening its diplomatic efforts to resume larger markets such as United Arab Emirates, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore and others.”
The BAIRA leader said Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus
has a greater access in most of the countries including manpower hungry states. It is very optimistic to open new and vital destinations for our migrant workers using CA’s good image.
Sources said, since the rule of the fascist Hasina government, Bangladesh’s labour market abroad has been shrinking.
Except for Saudi Arabia, manpower export to most countries has nearly stopped. Alongside the government, private entrepreneurs have also continued their efforts to expand labour markets.
A group of 30 workers left Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Thursday for Baghdad on a Salam Air flight.
On the very same day, another group of 150 workers departed from Chattogram airport at 8:45 AM, also bound for Iraq’s capital Baghdad. By 10 PM last night, a total of 180 Bangladeshi workers had arrived at Baghdad International Airport.
At the Dhaka airport, they were bid farewell by Al Rotan (Pvt.) Ltd.’s Managing Director Md. Khorshed Alam and Overseas Director Md. Abul Bashar.
Al Rotan’s Managing Director Md. Khorshed Alam told jounlists, “After seven years of effort, the reopening of Iraq’s labour market became possible thanks to the initiative of the interim government and the sincere cooperation of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment’s Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul, Secretary Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan, and Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Baghdad, Major General (Retd.) Md. Maksudul Haque, along with other concerned officials.
Overseas Director Abul Bashar said that at a time when one country after another is closing its doors to Bangladeshi workers, the reopening of Iraq’s labour market has brought smiles to the faces of countless aspiring migrants.
Through the deployment of skilled and unskilled workers from Bangladesh to Iraq, bilateral relations between the two countries will be further strengthened, and a new horizon of foreign currency earnings for Bangladesh will open up, according to concerned authorities.
Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Iraq, Major General (Retd.) Md. Maksudul Haque on Thursday congratulated the Iraqi government on behalf of Bangladesh for reopening the labour market.
He said the fraternal relations between Iraq and Bangladesh have been longstanding.
Bangladeshi workers in Iraq are contributing significantly to both the Iraqi and Bangladeshi economies. Because of their hard work, Bangladeshis enjoy much respect among Iraqis.
He expressed hope that the reopening of Iraq’s labour market for Bangladeshis after a long time would make bilateral relations even stronger.
In reply to a question, Ambassador Maksudul Haque told journalists Iraq is currently enjoying a peaceful situation, with massive development activities ongoing.
In the past, not only general workers but also doctors, nurses, and teachers from Bangladesh came to Iraq with respectable jobs.
“We are trying to send not only general workers but also doctors, nurses, and teachers to Iraq, and we are receiving a positive response from the Iraqi government in this regard,” he said.
In response to another question, the Ambassador stated: “My first priority will be to bring undocumented Bangladeshi workers in Iraq under a general amnesty, so they can gain legal status.”
Meanwhile, a source at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment stated that emphasis is being placed on ensuring safe, regular, and sustainable migration for all workers.