In the early '60s, both students and teachers of Economics at Dhaka University were anxious about one thing - we are sitting on a population time-bomb and this bomb may explode anytime. Truly, the so-called "population time-bomb" has exploded by now. The current population of Bangladesh is estimated at 160 million. If the population is to keep at this level for another decade or so, the growth rate must be lower than 1.6 per cent. The country's success in containing population growth was commendable until recently - the growth rate was 1.4 per cent in 2007-2008. But the rate shot up to 1.6 per cent last year. Such rising trend remains a major concern because the country's economy will face tremendous pressures - higher demand for food, houses, healthcare and social services with more people to share the scanty resources. Â
Reports suggest that Bangladesh's family planning drive has been stalled. Between '80s and '90s, there was an intensive thrust to reduce the population growth when the most vulnerable ones comprised the poor people in rural areas and Dhaka's slum-dwellers. The government motivated such people to keep small families and family-planning devices were distributed - all for the sake of population welfare and the betterment of the entire country.
However, the free delivery of contraceptives has been stopped from early '90s - a negative impact on the family planning policy. This resulted in a population growth from 1.4 per cent in 2007-2008 to 1.6 per cent in 2014. Such trend should be blocked by intensifying the motivational campaign and providing free contraceptives to the poor.
Globally, there is awareness about the population growth. In 1850, the world's population was 1.0 billion while the current population of the world is 7 billion which may rise to 9 billion by 2025. In the future, the global population is expected to stabilise at 11 billion by the year 2100. The demographic concern has been gripping many countries.
Simultaneously, the developed countries are concerned due to negative growth of population while the middle-income countries and LDCs like Bangladesh are concerned with a rising trend in the population growth. As a result, the developing countries with a good workforce are drawing a development strategy to derive the benefit of demographic dividend by exporting workers to the developed economies.
A recent report confirms that Japan needed to hire more than 8.0 million construction workers to implement a number of mega-construction projects centring the glittering extravaganza such as 2019 Rugby World Cup, 2020 Summer Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics. Japan is set to build 100 skyscrapers, 5-star hotels and other modern infrastructures. On an urgent basis, the country wants to hire 8.0 million foreign workers because Japanese workforce cannot cope with the pace of volume in construction works. Today, Japan suffers from acute worker crisis.
In order to sort out the worker crisis, Japan is keen to recruit workers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. Meanwhile, the Japanese government has liberalised its manpower import policy and contacted Bangladesh authorities in connection with hiring our manpower. Thus, our government is keen to take the advantage and it has opened a labour wing at the Bangladeshi Embassy in Tokyo. Reputed manpower export agencies of Bangladesh are eyeing to tap the opportunity.
By 2025, 70 per cent out of all the foreign workers - skilled, semi-skilled and ordinary workers - can be from Bangladesh in Japan if the Bangladesh government and private manpower exporters work hand in hand to exploit such a huge market. Last September, Tokyo Metropolitan Authorities invited proposals from international agencies to privately import foreign workforce. Accordingly, LP International will be able to privately import the highest number of workers from Bangladesh. As Bangladeshi workers are very hardworking and extremely obedient, both the government and private recruiting agencies of the country will be able to seize the lion's share of 8.0 million workers that Japan wants to recruit immediately for construction purpose. Japan has showed a very positive attitude towards importing construction workers from Bangladesh.
Besides, Japan has planned to rebuild the Great East Tsunami Devastated Area and build 700 kilometres of 'bullet train' route between Tokyo and Wasaka. The Japanese government has already included Bangladeshi workers in two strategic programmes: 1) Foreign Construction Workers Acceptance Programme for organising the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics; 2) Technical Eastern Training Programme (TETP) for rebuilding the Tsunami-affected areas.
Apparently, LP International has confirmed that Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) is the supervising authority for manpower import in Japan while Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) hires apprentice workers for the country. Bangladesh usually sends apprentice workers to Japan, although they are much less compared to Vietnamese. An opportunity has opened up to send hundreds and thousands of Bangladeshi workers to Japan and this should be utilised fully. A number of Japanese officials have already visited Bangladesh to see the feasibility of importing manpower from the country. Exchanging views with the members of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), the officials were convinced that most of the required workers could be imported from Bangladesh.
If the government and BAIRA work together for exporting manpower to Japan, the national exchequer will be enriched greatly. At the official level, Japan's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and his Bangladeshi counterpart held a meeting in Maldives where they expressed their collective desires to import Bangladeshi nationals to Japan. Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs has admitted that it will take all-out efforts to realise such goals.
Bangladesh is situated in an advantageous position having 45 per cent of the population as a prospective workforce. With proper training and advancement of skills, Bangladesh can increase its remittance earnings. Currently, Bangladesh has faced problems in exporting workforce to the markets of Middle East - Saudi Arabia is the biggest labour market for Bangladesh, although the country has stopped importing labour from Bangladesh. In addition, United Arab Emirates and Malaysia have not hired any Bangladeshi worker for the last five years. It will be unfortunate if these countries turn to other countries like India, Pakistan and Nepal. Diplomatic efforts together with Bangladesh's congenial foreign policy are needed to break these hurdles. In addition, the country may avail of the opportunity opened up in Japan. Â
Â
The writer is a retired Professor of Economics, BCS General Education Cadre.
sarwarmdskhaled@gmail.com