Restriction on manpower export to Iraq lifted

The government has withdrawn its restriction on employment of workers in Iraq as presently the political situation there has improved.
Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Khandker Mosharraf Hossain Wednesday disclosed this while talking to reporters at his ministry office at the city's Probashi Kallyan Bhaban.
He said following improvement of working environment, some 1,400 Bangladeshis will fly to Iraq within a week with jobs with the Hanwha Engineering and Construction, a construction company.
Due to political unrest, the government had imposed a ban on July 14 last on manpower export to Iraq.
Then the minister had said that "the restriction would be continued until the improvement of political situation in the war-torn country."
Mr Hossain said Wednesday presently Iraq is not unsafe for foreign workers and the government has asked for security of Bangladeshi workers from the respective companies there.
The employing companies have also already assured the government of Bangladesh that Iraq is safe.
Some 16,783 Bangladeshi workers went to Iraq with clearance from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) since 2009 till now.
But as per unofficial sources, nearly 25,000 Bangladeshis are now in Iraq. Of them, some 200 are in Mosul and Tikrit.
The Expatriates' Minister, however, said the migrant families should not be worried over the political situation as the workers are not the target of attacks in Iraq.
The situation in Iraq deteriorated following fresh attacks by rebels of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)