Home ›› 04 Oct 2021 ›› Front
The lack of a pragmatic vaccination plan is taking a high toll on the migrant workers waiting to fly to their job destinations overseas in compliance with the Covid-19-related health regulations.
An absence of such a rational proposition has shot up the migration cost, procrastination and sufferings – all putting a negative impact on labour migration in the first place.
Md Faizul Bari, an aspiring migrant worker, is struggling for Covid-19 jab for the last 40 days after doing registration for vaccine, but to no avail.
“I couldn’t make it although my recruitment has been confirmed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he gave vent to his frustration.
Faizul and his family members are now worried over the delay and are apprehensive that the lucrative job opportunity might be missed out.
Not only Faizul, thousands of other overseas job aspirants are awaiting vaccination and grappling with difficulties in relation to jabbing shortages during this torrid time before their departure.
The Directorate General of Health Services statistics updated on Thursday stated that a total of 642,485 individuals have registered for vaccine with their passport who mostly want to go abroad as labour. DGHS Director Shamsul Haque conceded that they have not specific information on how many people were inoculated so far.
According to health officials, over 80 per cent people are yet to be fully vaccinated as they couldn’t manage the desired group of vaccine for them.
A Tangail young man Sohel Rana took vaccine from his village at Ghatail after a frantic effort, and so hopes that his next step to fly for his workplace would be smooth. The hope of the 35-year-old, however, got dashed since the Sinopharm vaccine he took is not granted in the KSA – an uncertainty looms large for the migrant worker.
“I received Sinopharm vaccine which was the only available jab in my health complex. But now I am in a trap,” he said, adding that he had no scope now to receive a different shot.
Association of Travel Agent of Bangladesh (ATAB) Executive vice-president Azharul Kabir Chowdhury Told The Business Post that scores of labourers were compelled to rent hotel in the KSA for quarantine even after being vaccinated.
“Not only workers, the pilgrims are also facing the same problem,” he hinted.
For hotel quarantine a worker needs to spend Tk 45,000 to Tk 70,000 depending on the location and availability of the inns.
“If the government could ensure vaccine for the migrant workers on a priority basis, a large amount of money would not have to be spent out,” said M Tipu Sultan, former president of Female Worker Recruiting Agencies Association of Bangladesh.
The immediate past general secretary of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury observed that manpower exporters were facing severe problem in the wake of vaccine shortage which stands in their way of sending workers abroad during this trying time.
“During normal period Bangladesh exports manpower over 20,000 in numbers to different countries including the middle-eastern states daily, but now the number has fallen below persons per day,” he gave an estimate.
“A large number of youth who were overseas job aspirants have received Sinopharm shot which most destination countries do not allow. On the other hand, thousands of workers are counting days for vaccine after registration.”
The recruiting agencies proposed the government for Sinopharm booster dose for the migrant labour, who have already received two shots, and one single-dose Johnson & Johnson jab considering exigencies of labour migration.
However, Health Minister Zahid Maleque categorically said there is no option for booster dose in this case since the World Health Organization (WHO) does not accept it.
“We will consultant with WHO if we can give the aspiring migrant workers a booster shot,” he added.
Manpower experts viewed that Bangladesh failed to adopt a migration friendly vaccination plan on priority basis which is shooting up the cost of overseas employment seekers, who are one of the main foreign currency earners.
“If the government could administer the number of vaccines so far available as per proper plan, more people could be given shot in their arms,” they opined.
Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme Chairman Shakirul Islam said due to Covid-19, job opportunities in different countries have narrowed down, and if Bangladesh fails to tap the remaining opportunity properly, it would hit the sector hard.
The Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) statistics stated that in June, 43,537 workers were sent to different countries of the world including mainly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The number came down to 12,232 in July.
Bangladesh is one of the top labour-sending countries and has sent 13.2 million migrant workers including 9,35,499 females between 1991 and July 2021, according to the BMET statistics.
Experts feel that the real number is much higher.
The Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad said: “Vaccination is not on our hand.”
“We have asked the Health Ministry to take measures; I hope a better solution will come up soon.”
