Saudi Arabia will primarily import maids, drivers and housekeepers from Bangladesh at “a minimum cost” with the employers bearing the full migration expenses.
Governments of both countries agreed in this regard, a week after the KSA withdrew the seven-year-embargo on import of labour from Bangladesh.
Processing through state-managed, private agencies
Tk 15,000-20,000 per worker, but no ceiling on recruitment agency’s fees
Employment at a minimum salary of 1,200-1,500 Saudi Riyal
Employers to bear migration cost: plane fare, levy cost etc.
A 19-member KSA team, led by Ahmed F Alfahaid, deputy minister for KSA’s labour ministry’s international affairs, discussed manpower trade with Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain for an hour this morning.
According to him, both governments agreed to take in Bangladesh labour “at a minimum” cost of Tk 15,000-Tk 20,000, through both state-managed and private means.
The recruitment will take place through both Saudi and Bangladeshi agencies. “But, the government will not set any margin on the fees they would charge,” Minister Mosharraf said.
Later, Saudi Deputy Minister Alfahaid told reporters that the Saudi employers will bear the full migration cost of a worker.
However, it could not be ascertained as to the amount of labour Saudi will take from Bangladesh. Neither ministers specified the amount.
A moment from the meeting between Saudi and Bangladesh governments. Photo: Belal Hossain Biplob
A moment from the meeting between Saudi and Bangladesh governments. Photo: Belal Hossain Biplob
“About 1.3 million Bangladeshis are already working in the Saudi Arabia. There’s scope for more,” Alfahaid said in response to the query.
According to Minister Mosharraf, Bangladesh has demanded employment with minimum salary of 1,200-1,500 Saudi Riyal. “We demanded that the employers pay the migration cost.”
Responding to a query on the nature of manpower export in the primary phase, the minister said Saudi government was interested in taking maids, housekeepers and drivers.
After a one-hour meeting with Minister Mosharraf at 9:00am, Saudi’s Alfahaid discussed technical aspects of the manpower trade with a 10-man Bangladeshi delegation.
Led by overseas employment ministry Secretary Khandker Md. Iftekhar Haider, the Bangladesh team comprised of delegates of the home, law, foreign ministries and the Prime Minister’s Office. Two counselors of the Bangladeshi labour wing in Saudi were also there.
The Saudi government imposed a ban on importing manpower from Bangladesh in 2008 alleging anomalies in the recruitment process.
-Star Online Report
