Govt hopeful about resolving Malaysian visa issue
Thursday, 2 April 2009
FE Report
The government is confident about the resolution of the crisis relating to cancellation of visas of 55,000 Bangladeshi workers by Malaysia as it has received a positive indication from the authorities in Kuala Lumpur.
"The visa crisis has not been solved yet. But there is a high demand for Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia," Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters in a briefing at his office at the secretariat.
The minister, who returned home from Malaysia Tuesday night, said a positive decision about the Bangladeshi workers, who were denied visas by Kuala Lumpur last month, will come after a new government takes office in that country.
"The Malaysian government is positive on the issue. We will see a positive decision after the new government takes office," said Mr Mosharraf.
The expatriate welfare minister along with Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on March 26 went to Malaysia to discuss visa cancellation issue and convince the government to reconsider its decision.
An eight-member team of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), led by its president Ghulam Mustafa, also accompanied them.
Mr Mosharraf said the Malaysian government assured him of resolving the visa problem. The authorities there are also interested to reconsider the decision, he said.
During the visit, he had discussions with the Malaysian home and labour ministers on the issue, Mosharraf said adding that he requested them to recruit the Bangladeshi jobseekers.
"Malaysia will take more workers, but the numbers will not be so high due to the ongoing global financial meltdown. "But they have asked us to be alert so that illegal workers do not go to Malaysia from Bangladesh," the minister said.
There is high demand for Bangladeshi workers in construction, agriculture and plantation projects, he said.
The government is confident about the resolution of the crisis relating to cancellation of visas of 55,000 Bangladeshi workers by Malaysia as it has received a positive indication from the authorities in Kuala Lumpur.
"The visa crisis has not been solved yet. But there is a high demand for Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia," Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters in a briefing at his office at the secretariat.
The minister, who returned home from Malaysia Tuesday night, said a positive decision about the Bangladeshi workers, who were denied visas by Kuala Lumpur last month, will come after a new government takes office in that country.
"The Malaysian government is positive on the issue. We will see a positive decision after the new government takes office," said Mr Mosharraf.
The expatriate welfare minister along with Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on March 26 went to Malaysia to discuss visa cancellation issue and convince the government to reconsider its decision.
An eight-member team of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), led by its president Ghulam Mustafa, also accompanied them.
Mr Mosharraf said the Malaysian government assured him of resolving the visa problem. The authorities there are also interested to reconsider the decision, he said.
During the visit, he had discussions with the Malaysian home and labour ministers on the issue, Mosharraf said adding that he requested them to recruit the Bangladeshi jobseekers.
"Malaysia will take more workers, but the numbers will not be so high due to the ongoing global financial meltdown. "But they have asked us to be alert so that illegal workers do not go to Malaysia from Bangladesh," the minister said.
There is high demand for Bangladeshi workers in construction, agriculture and plantation projects, he said.