Bangladesh will explore options to activate a government-to-government recruitment process with Oman in the near future, said the Bangladesh state minister for foreign affairs.
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“In the coming joint commission meeting with the Oman government, which is supposed to be held this year in Oman, the possibilities to activate a government-to-government recruitment process will be explored and discussed,” Mohammed Shahriar Alam, state minister for foreign affairs, told the Times of Oman in an exclusive interview.
“The main problem faced by Bangladeshi migrant workers is that they get duped by fake recruitment agencies. To avoid such pitfalls, we already have government-to-government recruitment procedures with some countries in the region and in Asia,” said the minister, adding that all possible steps will be taken for the welfare of Bangladeshis working abroad.
There are around 546,487 Bangladeshis, the second largest number after Indians, working in Oman according to the latest Oman government statistics.
Foreign relations
Alam, who is currently on a three-day official visit to the Sultanate, on Sunday, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding political consultations between the foreign ministries.
“As a follow-up of the MoU, the first Foreign Consultation Office (FCO) meeting will be held in Dhaka probably this year which will focus mainly on investment protection, elimination of double taxation and ways to streamline labour market issues,” said the minister.
“Both Oman and Bangladesh have a lot to share and benefit from each other. Bangladesh is a developing country which has a lot to offer in investment, export and import,” added the minister.
Business co-operation
On the business front, the minister said that the Bangladesh trade body and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry have agreed to set up a joint commission to promote business relations.
“The joint commission will be holding the first meeting this year itself. This will help investment prospects in both countries. Many investors from Oman are already interested in doing business in Bangladesh. Some have even started the projects,” said the minister.
Market demands
On ways to meet the labour market demands, the minister said that the government has introduced several training programmes in Bangladesh which will ensure that the potential migrant workers meet job requirements in a foreign land.
“We have training programmes aimed at equipping students to acquire job skills. Moreover, we have special training sections for workers who want to know about their job, work culture and life in a foreign land,” said the minister.
On the health insurance coverage for Bangladesh migrant workers, the minister said that the issue would be discussed with the Oman government officials in the joint meeting and a positive step for the welfare of the migrant worker will be taken.
