'Open sky policy' and manpower export
Sunday, 23 September 2007
Shahiduzzaman Khan
In a major policy decision, the council of advisers of the caretaker government (CG) decided recently to open the sky in the country's three international airports for three months for quick journey of foreign-bound passengers, particularly Bangladeshi expatriates, amid a heavy rush.
The open-sky policy would be effective from next October for Zia International Airport, Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet.
The advisers observed that open sky would help overcome the flight crisis for outgoing passengers, in particular Bangladeshi expatriates and overseas workforce. However, the Hajj flights will be excluded from the open-sky aviation system that would open the airports to select foreign airlines. Under the new system, the designated airlines could operate flights under open sky -- flights would be operated on the basis of available point of call and Bangladeshi Airlines could operate same number of flights as the foreign ones.
The introduction of the new system was necessitated following heavy rush of the job seekers abroad. Thousands of Bangladeshis, on getting jobs in Malaysia and other Middle-Eastern countries, are failing to fly to their desired destinations for non-availability of seats in the aircraft. Country's national airlines and other foreign airlines operating in Bangladesh cannot cope with the rising demand for space for the growing number of passengers. It is expected that the 'open sky policy' would solve seat problem in the aircraft temporarily.
Bangladesh has so far explored job markets in the Middle-Eastern countries and Malaysia only. The country did not explore wide-open markets in Europe and North America. European countries including the Scandinavian ones, are in urgent need of at least one million nurses, care workers and service providers where the rate of population is declining. Bangladesh can avail this opportunity right at this moment if it can fulfill the European Union (EU) requirements.
What the government is required to do at this time is yet to take timely measures for skill development of overseas job seekers. Spoken English should be made compulsory for such job seekers. The government through its official channels abroad should also invite the authorities concerned of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greenland, Iceland and Pacific Rim countries to visit Bangladesh to explore the potentials of Bangladeshi job seekers.
According to a rough estimate, over 4.0 million Bangladeshis are now living abroad in one capacity or another, though a great majority of them have gone as guest workers. For a country with an unemployment rate running as high as 40 per cent, this is a matter of great significance. Today, Bangladeshis can be found working in every continent except, maybe, Antarctica. But as guest workers, their biggest concentration is in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia being the largest provider of such jobs. The boom in the oil industry is the source of these jobs in the Middle East.
Available reports suggest that country's manpower export to traditional markets in Middle East countries was most likely to decline in the near future for various reasons. As such, there is a need to convey the message to the outside world that there is both skilled and unskilled manpower in the country, as employers of many countries are not aware about our quality manpower.
Indeed, lack of monitoring of the manpower travel agencies, which have been mushrooming throughout the country is the major reason of human trafficking and illegal manpower export. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, outdated laws to authorise the travel agencies and recruiting agents do not address the emerging issues in the sector, which is facing new challenges in illegal migration and trafficking everyday.
Besides the above reason, lack of coordination and integrated action by the concerned ministries to solve the problem is responsible for the rise in illegal migration and trafficking. Despite the increase of trafficking and illegal migration, there has never been an inter-ministerial meeting between Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home. According to a civil aviation ministry spokesman, there are 1,800 legal travel agents throughout the country. Since 2001 the ministry has cancelled the licences of 238 travel agents.
In fact, the civil aviation ministry, that provides licences to the travel agencies under the Bangladesh Travel Agencies Registration and Control Ordinance 1977, does not have any power to take action against any travel agencies involved in any malpractice. It also does not have any power to take action against any travel agencies, which are not authorised by it. The ministry has not taken any initiative to monitor the travel agents although these agents have been sending people abroad for many years. However, establishment of mobile courts could solve the problem of monitoring their activities.
Sources in the expatriates' welfare ministry said they have 740 authorised recruiting agencies. The BMET authorities often cancel the licence of any recruiting agency involved in malpractice, but by filing writ petitions against the cancel order in the High Court the agencies continue to function. Due to lack of proper regulations the recruiting agencies that get licence from BMET also work as travel agencies, and during the Hajj time they get Hajj licence. However, most of the travel agencies fail to fulfil the requirement.
However, in the context of present day scenario, the Emigration Ordinance 1982 needs be amended to address the current and emerging issues. There is a need for informing the people not to go abroad without the clearance of BMET. The ministry has set up 12 labour wings in the foreign offices in Malaysia, Singapore and Middle East countries, which verify any offer of recruitments in those countries.
Meanwhile, the government has failed to reduce the cost of migration to Korea that shot up to Tk 0.50 million, since it has no control over the recruiting agencies. Recently, the Korean Federation of Small Businesses awarded the contracts to four local agencies for supplying 200 trainee workers as the last chance and fixed the fee at Tk 0.19 million, but the agencies are charging Tk 0.80 million each. It is thus essential that the government should update the rate of migration cost. For example, the government fixed the rate at Tk 70,000 to send a worker to Malaysia a few years back, but it is now much more as the value of dollar went up. Taking the advantage, the agencies are charging higher fees violating the rate fixed by the government.
Experts relating to manpower export business opined that tough legislations should be enacted to stop export of manpower dishonestly. Malpractice in manpower export is considered a worst problem in recruitment for foreign jobs. Such malpractice must be curbed at all costs to safeguard the country's 'lost' image and interests.
It is evident that the Bangladesh government does not have any coherent migration policy for channelling its people abroad. If it had any, the situation would surely be different today in that many more people would have gone and found work in other countries. In other words, the Bangladesh government not only fails to provide its citizens jobs inside the country but also fails to help them find jobs abroad.
Many experts believe that with proper planning and sound government policy many more opportunities for Bangladeshis to go abroad would have opened. The government's recent move to adopt 'open sky policy' is a temporary decision. Such policy cannot last long that may jeopardise interest of the national airlines. A permanent solution must be found out soon to tame the flight hassles.
In a major policy decision, the council of advisers of the caretaker government (CG) decided recently to open the sky in the country's three international airports for three months for quick journey of foreign-bound passengers, particularly Bangladeshi expatriates, amid a heavy rush.
The open-sky policy would be effective from next October for Zia International Airport, Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet.
The advisers observed that open sky would help overcome the flight crisis for outgoing passengers, in particular Bangladeshi expatriates and overseas workforce. However, the Hajj flights will be excluded from the open-sky aviation system that would open the airports to select foreign airlines. Under the new system, the designated airlines could operate flights under open sky -- flights would be operated on the basis of available point of call and Bangladeshi Airlines could operate same number of flights as the foreign ones.
The introduction of the new system was necessitated following heavy rush of the job seekers abroad. Thousands of Bangladeshis, on getting jobs in Malaysia and other Middle-Eastern countries, are failing to fly to their desired destinations for non-availability of seats in the aircraft. Country's national airlines and other foreign airlines operating in Bangladesh cannot cope with the rising demand for space for the growing number of passengers. It is expected that the 'open sky policy' would solve seat problem in the aircraft temporarily.
Bangladesh has so far explored job markets in the Middle-Eastern countries and Malaysia only. The country did not explore wide-open markets in Europe and North America. European countries including the Scandinavian ones, are in urgent need of at least one million nurses, care workers and service providers where the rate of population is declining. Bangladesh can avail this opportunity right at this moment if it can fulfill the European Union (EU) requirements.
What the government is required to do at this time is yet to take timely measures for skill development of overseas job seekers. Spoken English should be made compulsory for such job seekers. The government through its official channels abroad should also invite the authorities concerned of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greenland, Iceland and Pacific Rim countries to visit Bangladesh to explore the potentials of Bangladeshi job seekers.
According to a rough estimate, over 4.0 million Bangladeshis are now living abroad in one capacity or another, though a great majority of them have gone as guest workers. For a country with an unemployment rate running as high as 40 per cent, this is a matter of great significance. Today, Bangladeshis can be found working in every continent except, maybe, Antarctica. But as guest workers, their biggest concentration is in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia being the largest provider of such jobs. The boom in the oil industry is the source of these jobs in the Middle East.
Available reports suggest that country's manpower export to traditional markets in Middle East countries was most likely to decline in the near future for various reasons. As such, there is a need to convey the message to the outside world that there is both skilled and unskilled manpower in the country, as employers of many countries are not aware about our quality manpower.
Indeed, lack of monitoring of the manpower travel agencies, which have been mushrooming throughout the country is the major reason of human trafficking and illegal manpower export. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, outdated laws to authorise the travel agencies and recruiting agents do not address the emerging issues in the sector, which is facing new challenges in illegal migration and trafficking everyday.
Besides the above reason, lack of coordination and integrated action by the concerned ministries to solve the problem is responsible for the rise in illegal migration and trafficking. Despite the increase of trafficking and illegal migration, there has never been an inter-ministerial meeting between Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home. According to a civil aviation ministry spokesman, there are 1,800 legal travel agents throughout the country. Since 2001 the ministry has cancelled the licences of 238 travel agents.
In fact, the civil aviation ministry, that provides licences to the travel agencies under the Bangladesh Travel Agencies Registration and Control Ordinance 1977, does not have any power to take action against any travel agencies involved in any malpractice. It also does not have any power to take action against any travel agencies, which are not authorised by it. The ministry has not taken any initiative to monitor the travel agents although these agents have been sending people abroad for many years. However, establishment of mobile courts could solve the problem of monitoring their activities.
Sources in the expatriates' welfare ministry said they have 740 authorised recruiting agencies. The BMET authorities often cancel the licence of any recruiting agency involved in malpractice, but by filing writ petitions against the cancel order in the High Court the agencies continue to function. Due to lack of proper regulations the recruiting agencies that get licence from BMET also work as travel agencies, and during the Hajj time they get Hajj licence. However, most of the travel agencies fail to fulfil the requirement.
However, in the context of present day scenario, the Emigration Ordinance 1982 needs be amended to address the current and emerging issues. There is a need for informing the people not to go abroad without the clearance of BMET. The ministry has set up 12 labour wings in the foreign offices in Malaysia, Singapore and Middle East countries, which verify any offer of recruitments in those countries.
Meanwhile, the government has failed to reduce the cost of migration to Korea that shot up to Tk 0.50 million, since it has no control over the recruiting agencies. Recently, the Korean Federation of Small Businesses awarded the contracts to four local agencies for supplying 200 trainee workers as the last chance and fixed the fee at Tk 0.19 million, but the agencies are charging Tk 0.80 million each. It is thus essential that the government should update the rate of migration cost. For example, the government fixed the rate at Tk 70,000 to send a worker to Malaysia a few years back, but it is now much more as the value of dollar went up. Taking the advantage, the agencies are charging higher fees violating the rate fixed by the government.
Experts relating to manpower export business opined that tough legislations should be enacted to stop export of manpower dishonestly. Malpractice in manpower export is considered a worst problem in recruitment for foreign jobs. Such malpractice must be curbed at all costs to safeguard the country's 'lost' image and interests.
It is evident that the Bangladesh government does not have any coherent migration policy for channelling its people abroad. If it had any, the situation would surely be different today in that many more people would have gone and found work in other countries. In other words, the Bangladesh government not only fails to provide its citizens jobs inside the country but also fails to help them find jobs abroad.
Many experts believe that with proper planning and sound government policy many more opportunities for Bangladeshis to go abroad would have opened. The government's recent move to adopt 'open sky policy' is a temporary decision. Such policy cannot last long that may jeopardise interest of the national airlines. A permanent solution must be found out soon to tame the flight hassles.