Export of manpower

Saleh Akram | Published: February 27, 2016 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Recruitment of manpower from Bangladesh by Malaysia has again been delayed. After a few years of stalemate in manpower export, the incident of delay has given rise to speculations leading to a cause for concern. Although the media sounded a strong possibility of corruption in implementing the deal due to the existence of a clause in the agreement regarding a single manpower agent managing the deal, but the delay was not predictable. On the contrary, the news of the agreement was being seen by many including industry insiders as melting of the ice. Because after years of uncertainties and declining trend of manpower export to South East and Middle Eastern countries, signing of the G2G agreement with Malaysia for export of half a million Bangladeshi workers annually over the next three years was a glimmer of hope and the dark clouds hovering over the sector since 2007-08 appeared to be fading away. Â
The current migrants' crisis apart, a significant feature of globalization has been migration of manpower, from one country to another, more specifically, from poorer to wealthier nations. For Bangladesh, manpower export has become an important contributor to employment generation, GDP growth and poverty reduction. About 35 million people are migrant workers. The number of migrant workers which was 6087 in 1976 stood at 8.7 million in 2013 and the flow of total remittances to Bangladesh amounted to US $ 16.56 billion in the same year. Remittances by non-resident workers account for 11.14 percent of GDP and 53.5 percent of the total export earnings. Fortunately the country is steadily turning its manpower into an asset through training and skill development with a view to meeting the needs of a modern economy. It is not possible for Bangladesh to absorb the full range of available unskilled, semi-skilled and professional manpower within the country in an appropriate manner and hence the need to find employment for them abroad till her economy could absorb them locally. There are also a number of foreign countries which are in need of importing manpower from other countries. Today Bangladesh is considered a good source.
Remittance contributes to increase the income of the remittance receiving households and raise their standard of living. It increases investment in human capital, household consumption and also stimulates savings and investment. At the household level remittances are used for meeting basic needs and other family expenses. Remittance has both direct and indirect impacts on micro and macro level economics. It not only benefits the remittance receiving families but also contributes to the growth of output and national income. It helps support payment of imported capital goods and raw materials for industries. Remittance has contributed to increase foreign exchange reserve of Bangladesh.
Increasing remittance has become the second largest source of foreign exchange earnings next to RMG sector. It has created a new dimension in the economic development of Bangladesh. It reduces unemployment and poverty. It helps in balancing balance of payment, increasing foreign exchange reserves, enhancing national savings and investment and increasing velocity of money. Foreign exchange earnings through remittance are used for importing capital goods and machineries The most important macro-economic impact of remittance is on the balance of payment and through that on the economy as a whole.
Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar is keen to hire more than 200,000 Bangladeshi workers this year, and over the next two years, they will take another 100,000 from Bangladesh. This was disclosed by the manpower minister after returning home from a three-day official visit to Qatar. It may be mentioned that last year Qatar hired 123,956 workers, including 8,642 females, from Bangladesh. The number of female workers recruited in Qatar in 2014 was 6,452.
It is known that the deal has only been temporarily suspended. Whatever may be the case, the priority is to continue efforts at this end through diplomatic and other channels for implementation of the deal. Malaysia has always been one of the most favoured destinations for Bangladeshi workers. At the same time, as the FIFA World Cup 2022 is drawing nearer, the negotiations with the Qatar authorities should go on so that they decide in favour of supply of their required manpower from Bangladesh. Â
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