Breaking away from the conservative attitude, Chittagong has been witnessing a gradual increase in recent time in the number of female overseas job-seekers.
According to Chittagong District Employment and Manpower Office, a total of 3,299 female overseas job-seekers left Chittagong from 2009 till 2015.
The migrant workersleaving Chittagong for Middle Eastern countries in the last six years were mostly general labourers, carpenters, masons, cleaners and drivers.
Recruiting agencies said conservative attitude, religious and social injunction, inexperience and lack of campaign were holding the women back from going abroad as overseas job-seekers.
Anomalies in recruiting agencies, dearth of skilled workers, lack of market analysis and promotion and lack of sufficient diplomatic activity to boost bilateral relations are some of the reasons behind the dip in manpower exports from Bangladesh, said the office sources.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Jahirul Alam Majumder, assistant director, Chittagong District Employment and Manpower Office, said: “Some sort of reservation was prevalent among the women of Chittagong. However, we are witnessing an increasing trend in recent time due to widespread campaign, skill development training and workplace safety.”
“Most of the women leave Bangladesh as migrant workers for Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Jordan. They are mostly employed as gardeners, caregivers and house helps,” said Majumder.
“Bangladeshi migrant workers are honest and hardworking. The workers will be able to send more remittance if they are skilled and proficient in English,” said Majumder.
Officials of the Chittagong District Employment and Manpower Office attribute the marked increase in the number of aspiring female overseas job-seekers to the skill development training.
There are two technical training centres for women workers in the port city – Chittagong Mohila Technical Training Centre and Bangladesh Korea Technical Training Centre.
Bangladesh Korea Technical Training Centre, Chittagong imparts vocational and technical training on different employable trades.
Equipped with two modern computer labs, an Auto CAD lab and four workshops, Chittagong Mohila Technical Training Centre imparts training on two trades for the SSC Vocational Courses and 11 trades for the short-term courses, including a 21-day course on housekeeping.
“The number of technical training centres in the country is not sufficient. The government should increase the number of such centres and offer diversified courses to enhance skills of migrant labourers,” said Monsur Ahmed Kalam, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International recruiting Agencies (Baira).
