Oman plans to recruit 10,000 Bangladeshis
Oman has expressed interest in recruiting 10,000 workers from Bangladesh, including 5,000 farmers and 5,000 fishermen, as Dhaka continues diplomatic efforts to reopen the Omani labour market to Bangladeshi workers.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid Islam disclosed the development while briefing journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday following a courtesy call by Al Sayyid Mohammed Salim Ali Al Said, a member of the Royal Family of the Sultanate of Oman.
“Oman has expressed its interest in recruiting 5,000 farmers and 5,000 fishermen, a total of 10,000 people, from Bangladesh, and an agreement has also been signed,” she said.
The State Minister said a delegation from the Omani government is expected to visit Bangladesh next month to discuss the recruitment process with the relevant ministry and finalise the details.
She said visa restrictions remain a major obstacle to the regular movement of Bangladeshi workers to Oman. The government, however, is pursuing the matter through diplomatic channels.
“We are making efforts through diplomatic initiatives to ensure that Bangladeshi workers can resume going to Oman on a regular basis,” Shama said.
She also highlighted the government’s emphasis on technical education and skilled migration, saying Bangladesh wants to send more skilled workers to Oman who can contribute to different sectors of its economy.
She said the proposal had already been conveyed to the Omani government, which had shown interest in recruiting skilled Bangladeshi workers.
UAE visa restrictions
Responding to questions about the suspension and restrictions on visas for Bangladeshi nationals in the United Arab Emirates, Shama said Bangladesh was maintaining close diplomatic engagement
with the UAE. She noted that a large Bangladeshi expatriate community lives in the UAE and recalled that visa restrictions had been imposed during the previous government.
She also referred to the detention of more than 200 Bangladeshi nationals in the UAE following demonstrations by expatriates during the July movement.
“Following intense diplomatic efforts, we successfully brought those Bangladeshi brothers back,” she said.
However, she acknowledged that issues related to documentation, automatic visa cancellations and other visa-related complications remained unresolved.
“We recently held several meetings regarding auto-cancellations and visa issues,” Shama said.
She added that similar problems were being faced by other countries, including Pakistan and Nepal.
Bangladesh is continuing diplomatic discussions with the relevant authorities to resolve the problems as quickly as possible, she said.
Shama condemns incident involving Bangladeshi artist in Italy
Asked whether recent incidents involving Bangladeshi expatriates in Italy could affect the visa process, the State Minister strongly condemned an incident in Venice involving Bangladeshi artist Badhon.
She said officials from the Bangladesh Consulate in Milan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had visited the affected artist and extended assistance with the legal proceedings.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Italy, including the ambassador, had also provided support, she said.
Shama stressed that Bangladeshi nationals living abroad must respect the laws and regulations of their host countries.
“When Bangladeshis live abroad, it is natural and expected that they respect and abide by the laws, rules and regulations of their host countries,” she said.
She warned that incidents of lawlessness involving Bangladeshi nationals abroad could damage the country’s image.
“We stand firmly against any form of mob violence or lawlessness,” she said, adding that the government’s position applies to such incidents anywhere in the world as well as in Bangladesh.
Malaysia recruitment expected to resume
On Malaysia, Shama said Bangladeshi workers are expected to be able to travel there again soon following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent visit to the country.
However, she said the exact date for the resumption of recruitment would depend on further discussions between the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and the Malaysian authorities.
“The exact date will be finalised once the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare completes discussions with their Malaysian counterparts,” she said.
Regarding Malaysia’s suspension of double-entry visas, Shama suggested that questions about detailed recruitment and visa arrangements should be directed to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
UN recommendation on law-enforcement monitoring
Responding to questions about a United Nations recommendation for an independent monitoring mechanism for law enforcement, Shama said the relevant ministries would examine the proposal.
She said the government was committed to establishing the rule of law and ensuring an independent judiciary.
“If it is deemed appropriate for consideration, the government will certainly consider any measure or law that safeguards the rule of law and protects the human rights of the people of Bangladesh,” she said.
The State Minister said the Ministry of Law would have a role in reviewing the UN recommendation.
She also claimed that Bangladesh’s judiciary had operated independently over the past six months and described proceedings at the International Crimes Tribunal as transparent and open to observation.
No information yet on BIMSTEC participation
Asked about the upcoming BIMSTEC Summit, Shama said she had no information at present about Bangladesh’s participation or the composition of any delegation.
Meanwhile, during the courtesy call, Al Sayyid Mohammed Salim Ali Al Said appreciated the valuable contribution of Bangladeshi workers to Oman’s development and economic activities.
He noted that there was considerable scope for further expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between Bangladesh and Oman.
Fathia Ahmed Al Balushi, Chargé d’Affaires of Oman to Bangladesh, and other members of the Omani delegation were also present during the courtesy call.
