Dhaka thanks king for lifting ban on workers

CLOSE TIES: The meeting between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in June paved the way for the ban on Bangladeshi workers to go. (SPA)

RIYADH: The Ministry of Labor and Social Development has lifted the ban on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers as of Wednesday.
The ban was in force for the past six years except for the Bangla domestic helps.
Delighted over the new development, Bangladesh Ambassador Golam Moshi told Arab News that this is good news for all prospective workers from his country.
The envoy recalled that opening the recruitment channels from Bangladesh is subsequent to the meeting between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in June.
He said the new decision would pave the way for all categories of Bangladeshi workers which include skilled, unskilled, professionals such as doctors, nurses, teachers, farm and construction workers.
“We are thankful to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for allowing us to resume recruitment,” Moshi said, adding that the Kingdom has always stood with Bangladesh in good times and bad.
Currently, there are some 60,000 female domestics among the 1.3 million Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom. “Visas for male domestics were issued only from June, and there is a sizable number coming into the Kingdom regularly,” he said, adding that 6,000 female workers on average are arriving in the Kingdom per month. “We have around 48 categories of workers serving in all parts of the Kingdom,” the official added.
In January, Minister of Labor Mufrej Al-Haqabani and Bangladesh Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Islam decided to increase the number of Bangla housemaids.
Both ministers agreed to enhance cooperation in the manpower sector by addressing issues to reduce migration cost, imparting training to Saudi-bound workers, and recruiting more male workers for mutual benefits.