Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and visiting UAE Labour Minister Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Kaabi signed the MoU at state guesthouse Padma.

Both sides decided to form a joint committee comprising three representatives from each country to monitor the issues relating to manpower export.

"The MoU provides for a good working condition for Bangladeshi workers, protecting their rights and eliminating problems caused by both recruiting and receiving agencies," the UAE labour minister told reporters after entering into the deal.

In reply to a question, the UAE minister said his government is open to have more workers from Bangladesh-skilled or unskilled. But, he said, the recruitment will depend on the private sector that will determine what kind of workers they need.

Kaabi said his government will only play a role of catalyst to facilitate the private sector in recruiting manpower from Bangladesh.

Asked about legalising undocumented workers from Bangladesh, Kaabi said not only the UAE government but all the GCC countries will impose a ban on illegal workers.

Presently, Bangladesh has about 700,000 workers employed in the UAE, and about 16,000 of them are staying in that country without valid documents.

The foreign adviser said the visit of the UAE minister will open a new avenue for better economic cooperation between the two brotherly countries.

He said the MoU will help the Bangladeshi workers, UAE employers and the governments of the two countries set things in the right direction.

In the afternoon, the visiting UAE minister called on Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed at his office.

The minister said the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates on export of manpower will protect the rights of Bangladeshi workforce.

The CA requested the minister to encourage his country's investors to invest in Bangladesh in infrastructure, IT and power sectors, availing of the advantage of prevailing ideal climate.

The UAE minister appreciated the caretaker government's performance and reform works.

The chief adviser conveyed best wishes to the UAE president.