Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed :
Remittances sent by expatriates working in different countries are playing a very important role in the economic and socio-economic development of Bangladesh. This money is also being spent on various development activities, including trade and commerce, industrial production, and the setting up of schools and madrasas, mosques, and hospitals. The role of remittances of expatriates in alleviating poverty and improving people’s living standards is remarkable. According to the World Bank, about 63 percent of remittance income is spent on daily expenses. After receiving the remittance, the income of a family increases by 82 percent compared to before. Remittances can contribute the most through investment. Most of the families live in villages. As a result, the rural economy is gaining momentum due to the increase in income and savings of the rural population through remittances sent by expatriates.
The government established the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET) in 1976. The purpose of this organization is to meet the demand for manpower in the country and to provide employment abroad. BMET is in charge of implementing the strategy and overall plan regarding the proper use of the country’s manpower for foreign employment. BMET has 42 District Employment and Manpower Offices, four Divisional Employment and Manpower Offices, 47 Technical Training Centers, four Institutes of Marine Technology, and three Apprenticeship Training Offices. When a migrant worker dies, his family gets some money for the transportation and burial of the body. A small amount of compensation will also be paid. But in the country where he died, there is no support from the government to know what the loss is if he dies at work or to recover it. The common complaint of our expatriates is that they do not receive any help from our doctors when they are in trouble abroad.
Skilled workers are needed to increase remittances. First of all, we need to train our employees. Also, it is possible to increase the flow of remittances by giving them incentives. However, the bulk of the remittance comes through hundis. Illegal hundi cannot be stopped by increasing the remittance incentive. It will be possible to increase the amount of remittance through legal means only if it is worker-friendly. It is not possible to stop the hundi, but it will be possible to reduce its tendency. Saudi Arabia is the largest labor market for Bangladesh. That’s where most of the revenue comes from. Several mega projects are underway in Saudi Arabia. It requires a lot of skilled workers. If skilled workers can be sent from Bangladesh, the remittance will increase further. Many people from Bangladesh are migrating abroad every year for the purpose of improving living standards and establishing self-employment, and most of them are unskilled workers who are strengthening the foundation of the country’s economy by sending remittances. If these foreign workers are properly trained and skilled and sent abroad, they will be able to get better-paid jobs. The country will be strong economically. India is the world’s largest importer of remittances. And then there’s China. These countries are at the top in receiving remittances by sending trained and skilled people abroad.
Our biggest competitors in the global labor market today are India, China, Nepal, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Comparative statistics show that the workers of these countries are more skilled than our country. To take our turn in the global labor market, we must be most focused on the creation and recruitment of skilled workers. In this regard, appropriate government initiatives should be taken according to the long-term plan. The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment has laid emphasis on training to increase employment abroad. If skilled manpower is exported, expatriate income will be much higher than at present. There is no alternative to immigration. Therefore, the ministry has given utmost importance to the quality of employees. The project will also formulate an effective plan on migration management. According to the ministry, 7 to 8 lakh workers are taking jobs in different countries every year. They are working at very low wages due to lack of skills. But workers in other countries are paid more because of their skills. About one crore workers of the country are working abroad, but the amount of remittance is not increasing. We have to come up with a fair and coordinated plan in this regard. With which more and more workers of the country will try to enter the labor market not only in Malaysia or the Middle Eastern countries, but also in different countries of the world. By the aforesaid process, our manpower export market can be smoothed in the international context. During the Corona period, migrant workers have returned home almost every day due to the global recession. Most of these expatriate workers lost their savings due to being stuck in the country, and many could not go abroad due to the expiry of their visas.
The main problem of Bangladesh in terms of manpower export is the lack of money for those who want to go abroad. Expatriate welfare banks, employment banks, and other public and private banks can be used to solve this problem. In this regard, the government will be able to meet the demand for highly skilled workers in the international labor market by formulating and implementing an integrated plan and a time-befitting training policy. The policy will ensure state facilities to expatriates. In addition, experts believe that remittance flow will be strengthened in the overall economy of the country.
(The writer is former Deputy Director General, Bangladesh Ansar and VDP).
