The government has extended the time for a training session from existing 21 days to 42 days for women overseas jobseekers to help them develop skills.
The training programme for the first batch will start on April 21, Director General (DG) of Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) Begum Shamsun Nahar said at a roundtable discussion on Monday.
"Although the training period was for 21 days, we designed the programme for 42 days so that workers can gain necessary knowledge about their jobs abroad," she told the discussion.
National Alliance for Migrants' Rights, Bangladesh (NAMR,B) and BMET jointly organised the discussion titled 'Women Migration: Opportunities and Challenges'.
The DG said they have taken initiative to introduce mobile apps on the training programme. Workers will be able to take part in training through cell phone.
To carry out the programme, she said, the government has already allocated Tk 2.9 million.
As per an agreement signed with Saudi Arabia, women can use mobile phone anytime and they will be allowed to keep passports and their wages will be paid by bank, she added.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Khandakar Iftekhar Haidar who attended the discussion as the chief guest said female workers will go to Saudi Arabia at a zero migration cost as employers will bear all expenses.
"Female workers will only bear their internal cost like transport," he said.
As the female workers have job opportunity in different countries, they might not have been encouraged for recent registration programme for Saudi Arabia, he mentioned.
He, however, said female workers remitted more than that of male workers. Female workers send about 70 per cent of their earrings home while male 50 per cent.
Sheepa Hafiza, president of NAMR,B and also director of Gender Justice and Diversity and Migration Programme, moderated the discussion.
She said people from all walks of life should work together to ensure the security of female migrants.
Female workers will be imparted training on both residential and non-residential facilities, Fouzia Shanaz, principal of Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Mahila Technical Training Centre, said in her power-point presentation.
The female jobseekers will receive training on Arabic language for 80 hours every month.
Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), said migrant workers are the heroes of our country. "So, the government and rights activists have to work together to ensure the security of workers at workplaces."
Kazi Abul Kalam, joint secretary, Nurun Akhtar, director (admin and development) of wage earners welfare board of EWOE, Mokabbir Hossain, director (finance and admin) of BMET, Sarawat Binte Islam, programme manager (Rights) of MJF, also presented power-point on different issues.
Shakirul Islam, chairman of Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme (OKUP), was also present at the discussion meeting.
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Training session for women jobseekers starts on Apr 21
FE Report | Published: April 17, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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