Dhaka //

Advisor to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Dr. Asif Nazrul has called for more skilled workers to be recruited from Bangladesh in Saudi Arabia.

He made the call in a bilateral meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Dr. Abdullah bin Nasser Abuthnain on the sidelines of the 7th World Conference on Occupational Health and Safety held in Riyadh on Sunday.

The Bangladesh Embassy gave this information in a press release on Monday.

In the meeting, the Expatriates’ Welfare Advisor called for more skilled workers to be recruited from Bangladesh for organizing mega events and implementing mega projects in Saudi Arabia, including the World Expo in 2030 and the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

He also proposed to verify the employer’s capacity and availability of work opportunities before issuing work visas, sign employment contracts online before arrival in Saudi Arabia, develop special training courses for male and female workers on Saudi labor laws, labor culture and other urgent issues.

Dr. Asif Nazrul invited the Saudi authorities to visit the Technical Training Centers (TTCs) located in Bangladesh and, if necessary, reiterated his interest in reserving one or more training centers exclusively for training Saudi-bound workers.

He also requested the trainers of Bangladesh’s technical training centers to undergo special training on technical and linguistic skills in Saudi Arabia so that they can provide advanced training to Saudi-bound workers upon their return.

The Bangladesh delegation led by Advisor Dr. Asif Nazrul at the 7th World Conference on Occupational Health and Safety was attended by Dr. Neamat Ullah Bhuiyan, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Md. Delwar Hossain and other officials.

Dr. Asif Nazrul said that even though the cost of production has increased due to the additional expenditure on occupational health and safety in factories in developing countries, the living standards of workers are not improving due to the lack of proper value for the products produced.

He called on international organizations including the ILO and the developed world to play a leading role in reducing the health and social security risks of migrant workers working in the unregistered and informal sectors worldwide.

Dr. Asif Nazrul reiterated his commitment to expanding sustainable employment opportunities, establishing links between education and industry, and ensuring the occupational health and welfare of migrant workers.

He expressed gratitude for providing work opportunities to more than three million Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia and expressed hope to deepen cooperation with international partners.

In the meeting, the Advisor informed about the 15th Joint Commission and 5th Joint Technical Committee meetings to be held in Dhaka on October 8-9 and invited the Saudi Minister to visit Bangladesh at his convenience.

The Advisor thanked the Saudi Vice Minister for organizing the 7th World Conference on Occupational Health and Safety and for inviting the Bangladesh delegation.

Express your opinion.