The cabinet has given its nod to ratify two proposals of the International Labour Organisation to increase the facilities of marine officials and seamen.
The proposals were approved in a regular cabinet meeting held at the secretariat on Monday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
A total of around 12,000 marine officials and seamen will get biometric identity cards that will facilitate travel between countries.
The proposals are: ‘Maritime Labour Convention, 2006’ and ‘Seafarers Identity Document convention (Revised), 2003’.
After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters that the government will finally sign the two proposals as the cabinet has given its approval to ratify those proposals.
He said Bangladesh has already signed those proposals principally.
“The seafarers of Bangladesh have been facing discrimination on entering some countries, changing ships and returning home. Some foreign companies are not interested to appoint Bangladeshi workers. They would get relief from the discrimination if the government signs the conventions,” he added.
The ministry of labour and employment brought the proposals of the ILO before the cabinet for its approval.
The cabinet secretary said Bangladesh has around 68 sea-going ships now. A total of 12,000 Bangladeshi marine officials and seafarers have been working in local and foreign companies. They are earning foreign currencies of around TK5bn each year.
The seamen will get good working environment, medical facilities, entertainment, housing, social safety and working hours benefits if Bangladesh signs the ratified Maritime Labour Convention, 2006.
A total of 56 ILO member countries, including Bangladesh, have already ratified the proposal that was to be effected from August 20 last year.
The seafarers of Bangladesh will get biometric identity cards, according to the Seafarers Identity Document convention (Revised), 2003.
The personal information of seamen, including biometric features, fingerprints, barcodes, photograms and machine-readable resolves, will be included into the identity cards. The scope of examining the information of the identity cards that will be given by the Bangladesh government will be available, the cabinet secretary said.
