Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina speaks as she virtually inaugurates 24 Technical Training Centres in as many upazilas at an event held at Osmani Auditorium in Dhaka on Thursday — Focus Bangla Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday underlined the need for focusing on export to earn foreign currencies instead of depending on remittance, report agencies.
"We have to more focus on export to earn foreign currencies instead of only depending on remittance," she said.
"That means, we will have to give more attention to export-oriented foreign exchange earnings," she said.
The prime minister also asked all concerned to diversify local products to explore new markets abroad.
She was inaugurating 24 Technical Training Centres (TTCs) including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Centennial TTC at the upazila level, joining virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence here.
The Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) organised the function at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in city.
"We have to take initiatives to earn foreign currencies by making local products multidimensional to find out fresh markets abroad," she said.
The premier said some people of the country are making illogical comments and spreading rumours about the foreign currency reserve, adding it is common that the reserve would be more or less.
"I believe, it is enough to have foreign currency reserve to purchase food for three months," she continued.
But she said that the country should reduce its dependency on others for food items.
"We have to increase our own food production. We have fertile lands, we can produce food easily. We have to adopt modern technology for not only producing food but also preserve those," she said.
She emphasised on setting up new industries for food processing purpose which can meet the domestic demands and earn foreign currency through exporting those.
Terming the Ukraine-Russia war as meaningless Prime Minister said only arms producers are profitting from the conflict.
"...this war is meaningless. Because we are witnessing that only the arms producers are making profits. The lives of the general people are endangered," she said.
Hasina said that this war comes with sanctions and counter-sanctions threatening the global economy.
"Developed countries are facing severe problems. They have now started to save electricity and fuel oil, they are in anxiety about food security and taking various steps for that," she said.
The premier said that countries like Bangladesh which have started a journey towards a specific goal to become developed is facing severe hurdles due to this war.
"This is very much regretful. But we must not stop our advancement," she said.
The PM mentioned that the war struck when the world was facing coronavirus pandemic and resultant economic recession.
"To save the fuel oil all countries have taken various types of initiatives and we are also following that," she said.
Hasina put emphasis on building skilled manpower as Bangladesh has a huge number of young population.
"We are working on that. We want to build skilled manpower through providing them training aiming to continue the pace of development."
PM Hasina said her government sent 963,0505 workers abroad and received US$ 21.03 billion during the 2021-22 fiscal as remittance which was five times higher than that of the FY2005-06 during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government.
"Due to corruption, irregularities and syndicate the number of manpower export during the BNP government had reduced significantly and they had only sent 2,52,0902 workers in the 2005-06 fiscal," she said.
She underlined the importance on imparting proper training to Bangladeshi people with priority on vocational, technical and science skills so they can cope with the advance technologies and fourth industrial revolution.
She asked the authorities concerned to focus on giving training on how to drive heavy vehicles considering its huge demand abroad.
She stressed the need for working in unison of all the concerned ministries in case of manpower export.
"The home ministry is entrusted with issuing passports while the foreign ministry has to find out new labour markets, the industries ministry to give certificates and the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry will send manpower abroad. Each of ministry should work together to this end," she directed.
She also suggested forming committee with a representative of each of the ministry to ease the works relating to manpower export.
The prime minister also asked to include civil aviation and tourism ministry in this regard.
She asked all concerned to make sure that the expatriate Bangladeshis can easily send their earnings to Bangladesh through banking channels as many of them are now facing difficulties in doing so and are allured to send money through illegal means, including hundi.
The relevant ministries can work together with consultation of Bangladesh Bank in this regard.
She also suggested entrusting an officer to oversee the wellbeing of the expatriate workers.
The PM advised the young generation not to fall into the false promises of brokers.
Those seeking abroad, in many cases, have lost everything including their lives and money collected from sale of ancestral homes and lands after being cheated by manpower brokers, she said.
She asked all to go abroad for jobs by taking loans from the Probashi Kallayan Bank, saying that loans are being disbursed without any security.
She hoped that more skilled manpower would be sent abroad through imparting them with proper training at the upazila level TTCs.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) director general Shahidul Alam and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment secretary Ahmed Munirus Saleheen also spoke at the programme.
A documentary on the technical training centres was screened at the programme.
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