Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury on Tuesday said Bangladeshi workers have been making significant contributions to various sectors of the Korean economy through their skills, discipline, dedication and work efficiency.
He said this when a South Korean delegation led by Han Eun-Sook, Director of the Foreign Workforce Division of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, paid a courtesy call on him at the office.
State Minister Md. Nurul Hoque was also present.
During the meeting, Ariful said Bangladesh attaches great importance to its longstanding friendly relations and close cooperation with South Korea.
He expressed sincere gratitude to the South Korean government for its continued cooperation and support in creating employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers.
Over the years, the Employment Permit System (EPS) has emerged as an important and mutually beneficial framework for labour migration between the two countries.
He expressed sincere gratitude to the South Korean government for its continued cooperation and support in creating employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers.
A total of 38,059 Bangladeshi workers have secured employment opportunities in South Korea since 2008.
As one of the major sending countries under the EPS, Bangladesh is committed to further strengthening and expanding this partnership, he said.
Nurul Hoque said Bangladesh is interested in working on practical measures to maximize quota utilization, improve roster management, worker selection and recruitment, strengthen Korean-language training, and ensure greater participation of Bangladeshi workers in the Korean labour market.
He also sought the South Korean government's favourable consideration for creating employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers in additional sectors, including agriculture and livestock.
Han Eun-Sook said South Korea primarily recruits workers through the EPS system to ensure transparency.
He said South Korea is as committed to recruiting workers from Bangladesh as it is to ensuring that the worker selection process remains fully transparent. He expressed interest in working jointly with Bangladesh to ensure complete transparency in the EPS recruitment process.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Md Mokhtar Ahmed, Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) Managing Director Mohammad Rashedul Haque and senior officials of the ministry were present during the courtesy meeting.