Staff Correspondent
Expatriates’ Welfare & Overseas Employment Minister Engineer Moshar-raf Hossain on Sunday gave intimation that the government fixed rate for sending workers abroad through recruiting agencies may be increased.
After holding a meeting with leaders of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) at his ministry, he said “BAIRA leaders said current rate was fixed three years ago and it has to be raised in a situation where cost of everything is high.”
He said the government has taken steps in forming Bangladeshi workers’ welfare association in every country to deal with the suffering of the workers on emergency basis and seek help from BD diplomats and labour attaché therein.
“The government decided to form BD workers’ welfare association in every country to handle any untoward situation and suffering of workers. Besides association leaders will be able to seek help from our diplomats and labour attaché in the respective country. The process for forming such association has already started,” he said.
He added that the government will also take step for establishing ‘expatriate welfare bank’ as suggested by BAIRA leaders to provide BD outgoing workers with loans and transact remittances.
“At present many expatriates are sending money illegally. This bank will be established exclusively for expatriates; they and the state both will be benefited. When expatriates will know that their parents and other family members will get several thousands taka interest sending remittance through this bank, they will not send money otherwise,” he said.
About realising extra money by recruiting agencies, he said “People suffer for their own mistake because they never admit realisation of extra-money from them unless they fall in trouble abroad. So, we suggest aspirant overseas workers to abstain from contacting middle man except recognised recruiting agencies.”
He also said that the government is sending message to overseas BD workers through its diplomatic envoys not to leave the host country for their temporary inconvenience of work opportunity caused by global economic recession because such inconvenience will not continue.
Later BAIRA President Ghulam Mostofa said “Present rate of sending BD workers abroad is nearly Tk 84,000 but recruiting agencies are realising Tk 1,40,000 from them as costs of paper processing and medical check ups are high. In such a situation, we demanded to revise the rate to allow us to continue business within rules.”
He also said the government can form expatriate welfare bank with funds of BAIRA and expatriate welfare association with a view to assisting outgoing workers so that they do not need to sell their landed properties to collect the cost. “If any expatriate would like to establish industry after coming back, such bank will give him loan. Besides, remittance will be sent through this bank smoothly,” he added.
Courtesy: thebangladeshtoday.com
