Initiatives must be taken to create skilled workers for overseas employment

One of the driving forces of our country’s economy is the remittances sent by expatriate workers.

Again, almost the entire labour market is dependent on the Middle East.

Due to the ongoing war situation in the Middle East, there has been great uncertainty in the labour market.

The sending of new workers has almost stopped, while many old workers are about to lose their jobs. This has directly hit the country’s economy.

This situation is so worrying that there is no direction as to when, if, this crisis will be resolved.

The demand for new workers in countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar has decreased drastically since the Iran-US war began on February 28 this year.

According to a data from the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), 153,636 Bangladeshi workers went abroad for employment in the three months from March to May.

However, in the same period the previous year, this number was 260,438.

This means that the number of workers going abroad has decreased by about 41 percent in the space of one year.

ATAB (Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh sources said due to the war, working there has become very risky in the current situation.

Immigration experts said that Bangladesh’s labour market is mainly focused on the Middle East and the biggest dependence is on Saudi Arabia.

Despite discussions on expanding our labour market, reducing risks, and creating alternative markets, effective initiatives in this regard have not been visible.

Although remittances from migrant workers are the lifeblood of the country’s economy, there is no necessary step to create a skilled workforce.

But the global reality is that while there is a shortage of jobs for unskilled workers, there is a demand for skilled workers worldwide.

According to experts, there are job opportunities for trained workers in IT, care giving, nursing, and driving in many countries.

Apart from this, our country’s workers are often victims of fraud in foreign lands.

At that time, they do not get the necessary legal help.

Working in inhumane conditions and the hardship of living and eating has become a kind of fate for expatriate workers.

To overcome the country’s manpower export drought, we need to move away from dependence on the Middle East and look for alternative labour markets.

There is a huge demand for skilled workers in many countries.

Initiatives must be taken to create skilled workers according to that demand.

At the same time, the government must always strive to protect the interests of workers abroad, including their safety, legal support, and a healthy working environment.