Manpower exporters seek policy support

FBCCI’s Standing Committee on ‘Manpower and Skill Development’ on Wednesday called for incentives policy support to deal with the pandemic impacts and expressed grave concerns over manpower export syndication and recent ticket price manipulation.

At its maiden meeting in Dhaka, the committee also urged the government to officially honour manpower exporters who have contributed to the economy.

Participants noted that the average plane fare to the Middle East had doubled to over Tk 1 lakh after the pandemic from Tk 50,000. They blamed a syndicate for the situation.

The Standing Committee has decided to inform the ministries concerned and the Prime Minister’s Office about the existing problems in the manpower export sector through the FBCCI.

Committee Chairman Dr Mohammed Faruque complained that in the past, the entire process of sending manpower to Malaysia was in the hands of only 10 companies. Their corruption and irregularities eventually discouraged Malaysia from hiring Bangladeshi workers.

“Now the same clique is making a move to send migrant workers to the country through 25 companies,” he added.

FBCCI Vice-President and Director-in-Charge of Manpower Standing Committee Md Habib Ullah Dawn recommended bringing the manpower sector under government incentives to deal with the pandemic shock. He said the manpower sector contributed 12 per cent to the country’s GDP and called for more attention from the government.

Citing the examples of Nepal, India and Pakistan, several committee members said other countries are exporting manpower to Malaysia through more than 1,500 recruiting agents and argued that there was no reason to limit the numbers of agents in Bangladesh.

The manpower exporters demanded the inclusion of a nominated member of the FBCCI in the meeting of the Malaysia-Bangladesh Joint Working Committee to break up the syndicate in this sector. Also discussed were amendments to the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act, raising the incentive rate on remittances from 2 per cent to 3 per cent.

On December 19, a memorandum of understanding was signed at the ministerial level of the two countries to send workers from Bangladesh to Malaysia. Standard Operating Procedures are to be formulated soon.

Co-Chairman of the Standing Committee Reaz-ul-Islam, Freedom Fighter Mostafa Mahmud, Freedom Fighter Ghulam Mustafa (Babul), Freedom Fighter Mohammed Seraj Miah, Mofiz Uddin, Md Redwan Khan (Borhan) and Kazi MA Qashem, were present, among others. FBCCI Director Amzad Hussain and Secretary-General Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque were also present.