The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) proposed minimum Tk99,250 and maximum Tk180,950 for labour migration cost to Middle East countries.
Baira submitted its proposal to the nine-member committee of the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment on September 7.
It also proposed Tk15,000 as its service charge per labour manpower.
The maximum cost is proposed for Libya which is Tk1,81,950 that includes visa collection fee (Tk80,000), visa fee (Tk10,000) and plane fare (Tk60,000).
The remaining amount will be charged for medical test and passport fees.
The minimum charge Tk99,250 is proposed for Qatar that is inclusive of visa collection fee (Tk42,000) and plane fare (Tk28,000).
Confirming the matter, Baira President Abul Basher said: “We have already submitted our proposal to the committee of the ministry. But the ministry is yet to get back to us about it.”
However, Joint Secretary Abdur Rouf of the ministry, who headed the committee, said: “I have not yet received Baira’s proposal.”
The Expatriates Ministry formed the committee on August 13 to fix and control the labour migration cost.
The committee includes two joint secretaries, three deputy secretaries, the director of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, a member of the International Labour Organisation and the Baira president.
The Baira president told the Dhaka Tribune: “The ministry is now justifying our proposal. Following its recommendations the committee might sit for another meeting after Eid-ul-Azha.”
The committee will not only fix the labour migration cost but also monitor the costing process so that people can go abroad at a low migration cost.
As a result, harassment of people by middlemen can be mitigated considerably, he added.
Baira proposed Tk1,61,900 for Saudi Arabia including visa fee (Tk42,000), visa collection fee (Tk52,500) and air fare (Tk32000); Tk1,48,750 for United Arab Emirate including visa fee (Tk42,000), bank guaranty (Tk52,500) per labour and air fare (Tk25,000); Tk1,03,000 for Oman including Tk40,000 for visa collection fee and air fare (Tk28,000); Tk1,13,300 for Kuwait including visa collection fee (Tk50,000), air fare (Tk28,000); Tk1,72,000 for Iraq including visa collection fee (Tk80,000), visa fee (Tk10000) and air fare (Tk52000).
Besides, Baira will charge another Tk15,000 as passport fee, welfare fund, data registration fee, advance income tax and service charge. The offer will be applicable only to unskilled manpower.
But the proposed costings are still higher than other manpower exporting countries in South Asia. Labour migration cost in Nepal is between Tk60,000 and Tk70,000 while it is between Tk35,000 and Tk50,000 in Sri Lanka.
“Air fare is higher in Bangladesh than in other South Asian countries,” Baira President Abul Basher explained.
He also reasoned that the Bangladesh government charges would-be migrants with welfare fund fee, data registration fee, advance income tax which do not exist in other countries.
When contacted Dr CR Abrar, executive director of Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit, said: “I believe the government will look into the proposal of the migration cost keeping in mind the perspective of other countries.”
As Baira has no office outside the capital, aspirant labour migrants are very often cheated by middlemen. The committee should strictly look into the matter, he said.