Need to increase skilled workers for global labour market: Asif Nazrul

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Asif Nazrul today said Bangladesh needs to gradually increase the number of skilled workers as the international labour market is increasingly unwilling to accept semi-skilled or unskilled workers.

"The international labour market does not want to accept semi-skilled or unskilled workers, and Bangladesh need to gradually
increase the number of skilled workers," he said.

"Without skilled workers, the future of the country's labour market would be uncertain.," he said while talking to reporters on the occasion of the inauguration of the Skill Development for SSC Candidates course at Tangail TTC (Technical Training Centre), Nagarpur TTC and Kalihati TTC located in Tangail district this afternoon.

"Therefore, as a primary step toward addressing this issue, a new plan has been undertaken to increase the number of skilled workers," he added.

He said the plan is that, as local boys and girls will have nothing to do for three to six months after passing the secondary school certificate (SSC) examinations, a skill development programme will be conducted for them during this time.

The participants in the skill development programme will get training on computers, graphic design and web design, he said.

Asif Nazrul, also the law adviser, said, "We are going to start this programme for the first time in Bangladesh."

The programme is planned by Director General Saleh Ahmed of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) of our expatriate welfare ministry.

"This year, we have been able to enrol at least 6,000 students. We will also try to enrol those who will pass HSC after SSC exams," said the adviser.

He said, "Our markets are opening up in Eastern Europe, including Serbia and Romania. Our Dr Yunus Sir has received assurances from Japan that 1,00,000 workers will be taken there," he said.

Asif said Malaysia has also expressed interest in hiring the largest number of Bangladeshi workers and has pledged to regularise undocumented workers in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

"We're working to open new markets in Bahrain and the UAE. The UAE has already made progress, and we're addressing some complications in Bahrain," he said.

He also highlighted measures to ease access to loans from the Expatriate Welfare Bank and said the BMET clearance process has been simplified to reduce red tape.

"To ease the suffering of the families of our brothers who unfortunately died abroad, we've taken initiatives to facilitate the transportation of their bodies," he said, adding that an expatriate welfare lounge has also been established.