While the prospect of an increased number of Bangladeshi workers finding employment overseas is indeed welcome, as expressed by the minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, the prospect of their safety must always take precedence above everything else.
Given that the seminar, jointly organized by the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment and Better Bangladesh Foundation, was attended by the Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh, it stands to reason to assume that the higher number of Bangladeshi workers will inevitably find their way into Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.
The Gulf nations have historically had a terrible track record when it comes to upholding not just worker rights but basic human rights as well, especially in the realm of domestic work. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the victims of domestic worker abuse are women.
From being subjected to abhorrent working conditions, to unpaid wages, to innumerable anecdotes of outright torture, and even human trafficking, it is clear as day that Gulf nations are not ideal destinations for our migrant workers when discussing their safety.
While the Middle East has been a consistent source of remittance for Bangladeshi workers for a while now, the dependence on a singular market is also unsustainable in the medium to long terms. The government needs to expand the base when it comes destinations for our migrant workers.
For instance, last year saw a significant uptick in the number of Bangladeshi workers leaving for South Korea through the country's Employment Permit System. There is a very real demand for Bangladeshi workers in other nations, given our people's inherent industriousness, that much is a given.
Which is why it is all the more baffling why we keep relying on the same countries to send our workers, countries where employers clearly do not have the best interests of their employees in mind, to say the least. The government needs to engage and foster relations with more nations so that they can become future destinations for our migrant workers.
Bangladeshi workers who leave the comfort of their own home to serve their country deserve more.