Take steps to lift ban on manpower export to UAE

Bangladesh should make serious efforts to get the ban on export of local workers to the UAE lifted, as the construction industry there is experiencing boom again, creating demand for more workers, opine BAIRA leaders.   
The leaders of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) said the UAE government is implementing a number of mega infrastructure projects, worth over $315 billion this year alone. Many of these ongoing projects are already recruiting new workers.  
Director General of Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) Begum Shamsun Nahar told the FE that the government is aware of the development, and trying to get the ban on export of construction workers to the UAE lifted.
She said the government sent a request to the UAE government about two months ago for arranging an official visit of Minister of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Khondker Mosharraf Hossain there to talk about the issue.
"We're waiting for a response," she said.
 BAIRA president Abul Bashar told the FE Wednesday that it is the high time for the minister's visit to the UAE, which will definitely bring a good result.  
Former BAIRA president Ghulam Mustafa said the issue must be quickly resolved, so that construction workers from Bangladesh can be benefited from the new boom after a long sluggish period.
He emphasized the need for a concerted move in this regard, saying the UAE people are migrant-friendly, and Bangladesh should explore the latest demand for workers in construction industry there.
Abul Bashar said some workers from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan were engaged in an untoward incident in Dubai two years ago that led to imposition of the ban on import of construction workers from all three countries.
India and Pakistan have already resolved the issue, and their construction workers are going to the UAE again from last year. But there is a visible lack of credible initiatives from Bangladesh, especially on the part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to break the ice.
He said the BAIRA leaders are scheduled to meet the expatriates' welfare minister and the secretary, and the BMET DG. The issue of lifting the ban on export of construction workers to the UAE would be on the table for discussion.
Ghulam Mustafa said when the ban on Bangladesh construction workers was imposed, the market was saturated with surplus workers. Some of them were engaged in various crimes, including violence, in absence of work. Besides, there were allegations of illegal workers flooding the market.
The UAE government tried to stop the flow of illegal workers and violence. Now the labour market is again on high demand, and it is the time to get the ban lifted. He demanded a vigorous role of Bangladesh Embassy in the UAE in this respect.
 The BMET chief said manpower export to the UAE is not altogether stopped. A number of drivers, gardeners and house keepers are regularly going there.
The Saudi government is also taking technical manpower, although export of workers to the country remains almost shelved, especially on government-to-government level.
She said export of construction workers to Qatar and Oman is taking place. But the ban from Kuwait is in place since 2001.