Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday stressed the need for ensuring that seekers of jobs abroad must not fall prey to the frauds and middlemen.
“So we always have to consider that these people could go abroad through proper channel and get appropriate job. It is very important for us to ensure that these people must not fall prey to fraudulent people and middlemen,” she said.
The prime minister was delivering her introductory speech at the second meeting of the Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Affairs National Steering Committee at her official residence Ganabhaban.
She asked the authorities concerned to find new destinations for sending manpower alongside making them skilled through giving appropriate training on different trades.
“We have manpower in different countries, but we have to find more destinations,” said the PM.
Hasina said that the government has started sending manpower to some new places. “But, we have to send skilled manpower. We have taken initiatives to provide training,” she said.
She asked the authorities concerned to figure out which country needs what kinds of skilled manpower. “We will provide training to them.”
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The PM mentioned that sometimes it is seen that people are selling their houses and lands to pay the unscrupulous middlemen and fraudulent persons for a job abroad.
She put emphasis on creating public awareness against going abroad for jobs through middlemen.
During the heavy pressure on the economy forcoronavirus pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war, the income of the expatriates contributed a lot in the country's reserve and overall development, said the prime minister.
She said the Awami League government has established Expatriates’ Welfare Bank to provide loans to the overseas jobseekers.
Hasina also praised the freelancers of the country for earning foreign exchange. “Our freelancers are also earning foreign currencies. We have given them certificates after bringing them under registration process.”
She also requested the expatriates to send their money through legal channels. “We have given special stimulus of 2.5 percent for sending money through legal channel.”
The prime minister asked the authorities concerned to take necessary measures so that dreams of the expatriate Bangladeshis do not turn into nightmare due to misuse of their hard earned money sent through illegal channels.
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She directed the authorities of the Probashi Kallyan Bank to introduce agent banking in working places of the expatriate Bangladeshis to reach the legal money sending services at their doorsteps.
“Necessary steps have been taken to ease process of sending money from abroad through legal and banking channels.”
She said that many of the expatriate workers send money through illegal channels and fraud brokers which ultimately make them losers.
She said that at present there are sufficient employment opportunities in the country and people are earning more.
She mentioned that a day labourer who used to earn Tk 200-300 per day in the past, now can earn Tk 600-1000 per day depending on the nature of work. The minimum earning is Tk 500-600.
Earning in the rural areas is higher than this amount, she said adding that during the paddy harvesting season the amount is Tk 700-800 with three meals a day.
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“The rural economy has improved a lot. If anyone goes to rural areas it will be seen that the standard of living in the rural areas has improved a lot,”
Sometimes scarcity of labour is also seen as people are becoming solvent, she added.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Planning Minister MA Mannan, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Empowerment Imran Ahmed were present among others.