Minister turns down BAIRA demand

Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Khandker Mosharraf Hossain turned down Thursday private recruiters' demand for allowing the private sector along with the government to send workers to Malaysia.  
"Forget about Malaysia market. Bangladeshis will only be sent to Malaysia under Government to Government (G to G) arrangement," he told the private recruiters.
The minister also said except for Malaysia the recruiters can send manpower to all other (169) destinations.
Khandker Mosharraf Hossain was speaking at a view exchange meeting with Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) general members at the city's Lady's Club auditorium.
The meeting titled 'A view exchange meeting on enhancement of manpower export and market expansion' was organised by the BAIRA.
The minister, however, said the private sector and the ministry are substitutes for each another for the development of the country's overseas manpower sector.  
He said if the private recruitment agencies cooperate with the ministry, visa trading will be stopped and workers will be able to go to any country at Tk 30,000 to Tk 40,000 each.   
The minister urged the manpower recruiters to go for market expansion, and the government will provide help in this connection.
He said visa trading is happening only in Bangladesh. If private recruiters stop visa purchase at a high price, such unscrupulous work will be stopped.
He said government is not doing business. If government tried to do business, at first it would cancel all recruitment agencies' licences.
He said following a proposal of Malaysian government Bangladesh went for G to G migration process.
BAIRA members said although the quality of the manpower sending has developed under G to G process, the quantity has not increased.
They said they are willing to cut migration cost and also recruit manpower from government database. They urged the minister to take initiatives to resume Middle Eastern markets.
Group managing director and former BAIRA president Mohammad Noor Ali said when a market opens up, the recruiters run to it aggressively until it is shut down. Such business-oriented mentality should be stopped.
He also emphasised not to depend on middleman system and sought proper marketing by the BAIRA leaders.  
Secretary of the expatriates' welfare ministry Khondokar Showkat Hossain, director general of the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) Begum Shamsun Nahar, BAIRA president Mohammad Abul Bashar, senior vice president Ali Haider Chowdhury, secretary general Monsur Ahmed Kalam, among others, were present at the programme.