Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged Bangladeshi overseas jobseekers to receive proper training before going abroad as it is very much essential.
“It’s very unfortunate that the people who want to go abroad with a job are less interested to receive training. They fall in danger after going abroad with certificates obtained by spending some money,” she said on Thursday.
Her remarks came at an event where she laid the foundation stone of the Bangladesh Consulate Building in Jeddah by unveiling its plaque in the afternoon, reports BSS.
The prime minister said her government was providing training to the people intending to go abroad with jobs.
“This training is very much important, otherwise they just become victims of torture and repression while staying abroad,” she added.
She said many people fell prey to the danger for not getting appropriate training. “It’s very regretful and it needs to be addressed.”
Hasina said that many overseas jobseekers fall in danger after falling prey to the middleman (dalal) by selling their land and property. “They have to suffer in prison day after day due to their wrong decisions.”
In this connection, she said the expert expatriates could play an important role by providing information to them.
However, the prime minister’s take on the matter comes at a time when many Bangladeshi expatriate workers, along with other foreign workers, in Saudi Arabia have become victims, losing their jobs, following the implementation of the new Saudization policy.
In January, Saudi Arabia’s Labour and Social Development Ministry issued a decree to limit work in 12 sectors in an effort to empower Saudi citizens and provide them with more job opportunities in the private sector.
Since the decision came into effect in the last few months, over 700 Bangladeshi expat male workers have been deported from Saudi Arabia till October 17, according to the NGO Brac.
Experts and immigration labour organizations recently also urged Prime Minister Hasina to discuss the matter with Saudi Arabia to solve the problem during her visit there.
‘Utilize Expatriates Welfare Fund’
The prime minister at Thursday’s event also stressed the need for using the Expatriates Welfare Fund for the wellbeing of the expatriates only.
“Major amount of foreign currency comes from the remittances sent by the expatriates and our embassies and missions are run by their money. So I want the Expatriates Welfare Fund to be utilized for their welfare,” she said.
She said the fund would be spent for setting up schools for the children of the expatriates and those schools would also be run through the fund as it was created with the expatriates’ money. “We will have to work keeping this in mind.”
Regarding the closure of the Bangladeshi school in Medina, she said that the school would not be shut down and resuming academic operations soon.
“For this I will approve money for whatever is required,” she said, asking her office secretary to take necessary measures in this regard.
Highlighting her government’s steps for the welfare of the expatriates, Sheikh Hasina said her government has established Probashi Kallyan Bank for them. “We’ve taken steps for solving the problems of the expatriates and those who want to go abroad can take loan from the bank.”
She also recalled the expatriates’ contributions to the country’s socioeconomic development as well as their role in every movement and struggle.
Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Golam Moshi was present, among others, on the occasion.
The prime minister went to the kingdom on Tuesday on a four-day visit, during which the two countries signed several deals on a number of private and public sectors, including defence and ICT cooperation.
During her trip, Hasina also met Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz al Saud at his royal palace on Wednesday, apart from holding meetings with other Saudi royals, government officials and businessmen.
She is scheduled to return to Bangladesh on Friday.
