Manpower export problem with UAE
The statistics speak loud and clear as far as current year's manpower export to UAE goes. In January with 33,073 Bangladeshi workers going there, the upward trend continued until July. Then in September, the figure went down from 2,337 in September to 351 in October and barely inched up to 355 in November.
Needless to say, this is something of disaster in view of the rapid decline in manpower export to UAE in a matter of less than a year. This stands in contrast to the overall figure between 2008 and 2012 when the country hosted as many as 13,78,433 out of a total of 28,53,203 Bangladeshi workers sent to various countries, according to BMET statistics.
The UAE has not officially given reasons behind its action but from various sources it is gathered that just as Bangladeshis are second highest in number there, incidence of crime among them is also rising. Also, many of them have lost legal status. Understandably, Bangladesh has broached a proposal to constitute a joint committee with UAE to thrash all obstacles in the way of restoring the prospects of work for those who have been sent back. The bleak signal will have to be reversed as well. In any case, efforts must energetically pursued at the diplomatic level to revive the manpower export market in UAE.
Let's not forget that when the export markets in Kuwait in 2008 and in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia in 2009 were shut off, it was UAE which remained a prized destination for our workers. We cannot allow the misdeeds of some Bangladeshis to spoil the image of greater number of workers in the country, or for that matter, elsewhere.
The overarching need is for a concerted strategy among all agencies involved with manpower export as well as their counterparts in the host countries to ensure sustainability of manpower export to countries with whom we enjoy beneficial relations.
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