Job prospect for Bangladeshi seafarer are diminishing due to rampant use of false documents to get employment in ships.
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and other countries are reluctant to provide jobs to Bangladeshi seafarers.
These countries also do not issue visas to Bangladeshi job seekers who aspire to work for different flag carriers.
The issue was discussed at a meeting at the Foreign Ministry yesterday where Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan were present.
The participants discussed the issue and asked the Shipping Ministry to take action against false documents holders.
This is not only tarnishing the image of Bangladesh but also shrinking job opportunity abroad, said an official who attended the meeting.
Citing an example, he said seven Bangladeshis got jobs in a Singaporean ship last year and when it berthed at a US port they left the ship and never to return.
The Singapore authorities later informed the Foreign Ministry that they would not recruit any Bangladeshi in their ships, he said.
In another similar incident 17 Bangladeshis disappeared from a Saudi ship last year, said another official who attended the meeting.
The Kingdom country also informed Bangladesh about not recruiting any Bangladeshi for their flag career in future, he said.
Hong Kong complained to the International Maritime Organisation against Bangladesh as it detected 52 false documents in the territory, he said.
United Arab Emirates also frustrated by false documents provided by Bangladeshis announced that it would not issue any visa to Bangladeshi seafarers.
Iran also detected 50 false documents provided by Bangladeshis, the official said.
On June 18, Bangladeshi cadets went to Mumbai to get jobs in a ship and they obtained visas for 72 hours.
“But they were cheated by the recruiting company which took away all their money. After 72 hours they became illegal and landed in jails,” the official said.
India complained on security ground posing the question as to why Bangladesh sent its seafarers without confirming their jobs, he said.
The official said one Golam Kibria became captain of a Cambodian ship and afterword when the company asked for his documents, they found his documents false.
Another official said it is very easy to get competency certificate or seaman identity card in Bangladesh.
Even non-technical people like ship cleaner or cook can get those documents easily, he said.
The official said marine academies in Bangladesh enrolled about 900 students but they don’t have the capacity to provide them training.
Bangladesh has only four ships in public sector and 27 in private sector and these are not enough to provide training to them, noted the official.
“Without training nobody can afford to get a job in any foreign ship.”
