Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday warned that there should not be exploitation of poor people in the name of providing them with jobs aboard and asked the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment to remain vigilant in this regard, reports UNB. “We don’t want to stop the business of manpower exporters or recruiting agencies. Their business will continue, but there should be no exploitation of the common and distressed people in the name of business...there would be profit, but there should not be over hundred percent profit to make the poor people paupers,” she said. The Prime Minister said this in her introductory speech in a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment and its different organisations held at the ministry’s conference room in the capital. Mentioning that the database of the Bangladeshi workers would leave no scope for exploitation of workers, “You’ll (Ministry) have to look into the matter so that no one could confuse or exploit the Bangladeshi workers want to go abroad seeking jobs,” she said. Stressing the need for creating newer employment opportunities abroad, Hasina said the ministry will have to identify which country have higher demand for which kinds of works. Of the country’s total population of about 16 crore, Hasina said, about 90 lakh Bangladeshi expatriates are staying abroad. “And this is how inward remittance has been the main driving force of the country’s economy.” Hasina said the training institutes under various ministries, including the Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment, Labour and Youth and Sports Ministries, are very much important for sending skilled manpower through proper training and thus earning more foreign currency. The Prime Minister stressed the need for coordination among the training institutes of various ministries in different trades and vocations for generating more local and foreign employment opportunities. Referring to the recent trend of making attempts by the fortune seekers to cross the sea, including the seizure of a Malaysia-bound trawler by the Navy and Coast Guard members with about 600 people on board having women and children, Hasina said, “I just wonder why people taking too much of life risk want to cross the sea.....this is very unfortunate.” Directing the authorities concerned for curbing such attempts, the Prime Minister also asked the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare to create massive mass awareness among the common people as well as conduct huge publicity through newspapers and TV channels in this regard. She said her government has taken proper steps so that the Bangladeshi workers could go abroad in a transparent way and safely. Noting that there is a huge demand for skilled manpower in different countries of the world, Hasina said more workers could be sent to those countries through negotiations for which there is a need for skilled manpower and proper training. Describing the country’s huge population as assets, Hasina said, “I think this huge population is not a problem rather our biggest assets. If this population could be utilized properly, then this could lead us towards our goal.” After assuming office in 2009, the Prime Minister said, her government had announced this overseas employment sector as a thrust sector and worked accordingly on how to keep up this labour market abroad. In this connection, she mentioned the establishment of Expatriates Welfare Bank, enactment of the Overseas Employment and Expatriates Workers Act-2013 and formulation of the National Skill Development Policy-2011, launching of 15 new labour wing for which the country’s labour market has now expanded to some 159 countries across the globe from the previous 57 countries. During her tenure from 1996-2001, Hasina said, some 1,65,000 illegal Bangladeshi workers were legitimised following her government’s fruitful diplomacy with Malaysia while a huge number of illegal workers were also made legal in Saudi Arabia and some other countries at that time. Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Dr Khondoker Mosharraf Hossain delivered the address of welcome while PM’s Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, Ministry Secretary Dr Khandker Shawkat Hossain and PM’s Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri were, among others, present.
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