Half a million overseas jobs by year-end

Bangladesh is going to send some 5 lakh job-seekers abroad by this year-end, as new overseas job markets are being found out by the government.

Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Engr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said yesterday, sounding a note of warning against any fraud on the part of manpower exporters.

“Of them, Saudi Arabia will take some two lakh Bangladeshis after the beginning of their six mega-city projects and Iraq take more than 1 lakh,” the minister told a meeting at the city's Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training .

The labour and employment and expatriate welfare and overseas employment ministry organised the meeting with the Sramik-Karmachari Oikya Parishad (SKOP) leaders.

“The government has moved to sign an agreement with its labour-market countries to settle a minimum plane fare and other facilities with Bangladesh,” said the minister.