When it comes to earning foreign currency, Bangladesh’s labour market is only second to our RMG sector. But while destinations for export for our goods have diversified greatly over the past few decades, the same cannot be said about our labour force.
To that end, Bangladesh’s recently signed memorandum of understanding with Libya which focuses on expanding the international labour market for Bangladeshi workers could not have come at a better time as the MoU will allow Bangladeshi citizens to have more options regarding safe migration for working abroad.
We are a country of over 160 million people, and while it is imperative that we focus on providing local, home-grown jobs, in today’s inter-connected, international world, it is equally important that we keep our options open for safe, international work.
Our country has long relied on the Middle East -- namely Saudi Arabia -- as its labour market destination. While this has allowed Bangladesh to exponentially increase its remittance reserves, relying too heavily on a single region brings with it a suite of problems. Furthermore, with our increased population growth and a large portion of them being of working age, it is imperative that we focus on expanding our reach and scale proportionately.
The more countries we have access to, the more economies where Bangladeshis can contribute, and the more they can learn and earn back for their country. This will not only allow Bangladeshis to learn diverse skills that can be applied anywhere in the world, but this will also allow us to have an active role in shaping the global economy.
With the increased number of Bangladeshi students choosing to study abroad, we are in a good position to influence this system in terms of skilled labour. However, we need to equally focus on unskilled labor as well -- increased spending on vocational training can make a big difference in this particular arena.
Bangladesh’s biggest strength is it’s population, mainly the demographic dividend that we enjoy. Let us put that to the best use possible.
To that end, Bangladesh’s recently signed memorandum of understanding with Libya which focuses on expanding the international labour market for Bangladeshi workers could not have come at a better time as the MoU will allow Bangladeshi citizens to have more options regarding safe migration for working abroad.
We are a country of over 160 million people, and while it is imperative that we focus on providing local, home-grown jobs, in today’s inter-connected, international world, it is equally important that we keep our options open for safe, international work.
Our country has long relied on the Middle East -- namely Saudi Arabia -- as its labour market destination. While this has allowed Bangladesh to exponentially increase its remittance reserves, relying too heavily on a single region brings with it a suite of problems. Furthermore, with our increased population growth and a large portion of them being of working age, it is imperative that we focus on expanding our reach and scale proportionately.
The more countries we have access to, the more economies where Bangladeshis can contribute, and the more they can learn and earn back for their country. This will not only allow Bangladeshis to learn diverse skills that can be applied anywhere in the world, but this will also allow us to have an active role in shaping the global economy.
With the increased number of Bangladeshi students choosing to study abroad, we are in a good position to influence this system in terms of skilled labour. However, we need to equally focus on unskilled labor as well -- increased spending on vocational training can make a big difference in this particular arena.
Bangladesh’s biggest strength is it’s population, mainly the demographic dividend that we enjoy. Let us put that to the best use possible.