Manpower export signals

But the silverline around this cloud-patch is an upswing in the remittances which is almost entirely ascribed to an increased employment of our skilled and professional people abroad.

It is both interesting and significant to note that the increase in forex earning from Bangladeshi wage earners, estimated at 19 percent, has more than made up for the loss sustained through reduced labour export in the unskilled and semi-skilled categories. The numbers have dropped but earning has increased. Evidently, the expatriate Bangladeshi professionals abroad being higher income bracket people, have accounted for the quantum leap in remittances.

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So, the job is cut out -- for the government as well as the whole lot of other stakeholders. The manpower export and expatriate worker welfare ministry, our labour missions abroad, migration promotion companies and export agents must now concert their efforts towards breaking new grounds for maximising the remittances into the country. Job-linked bank loans for those who prove eligible for work permits may be worth considering.

Goodwill that our workers create in host countries is a business winner. But it is found that the falling export figures are in part due to militant trade unionism of expatriate Bangladeshis in some countries which are loathe to it. Some governments are said to be also discouraging foreign workers from drawing in their relatives and acquaintances for jobs which too has cut back on our prospects.

The government steps against undocumented job-seeking may also have had a limiting effect. But this is welcome having regard to the fact that it has been something of an image spoiler. A greater responsibility thus devolves on the government to firm up more employment opportunities abroad for our surplus labour force. As part of a broader national effort, we have to create pools of skilled and semi-skilled workers, ready to harness at short notice.

All workers with work permits in their hands must compulsorily undergo an orientation programme that takes care of such behavioural risk factors as rabid trade unionism. Our labour missions abroad can do a lot more to look after the interest of our expatriate workers.

Overall, a policy update is necessary for the sake of a fuller realisation of the manpower export potential.