Saudi job for Tk 1.65 lakh

The government has fixed the cost at Tk 1.65 lakh, including airfare, passport and welfare fee, for each Bangladeshi worker willing to migrate to Saudi Arabia.

The Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) issued a circular in this regard yesterday, a day after discussing the costs with Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira).

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Selim Reza, director general of BMET, said if a particular Saudi employer bore the airfare, the cost would be even lower.

The migration cost has been fixed as the Kingdom, Bangladesh's largest overseas labour market, on August 10 lifted a seven-year restriction on recruitment of Bangladeshi male workers. The Arab country also announced the decision to hire Bangladeshis in all sectors.

According to BMET statistics, some 13 lakh Bangladeshi workers are now employed in Saudi Arabia. Early in 2008 the Kingdom had imposed the restriction on hiring Bangladeshis alleging that there were malpractices in the recruitment process.

Many Bangladeshi workers alleged that they had to spend between Tk 5 lakh and Tk 10 lakh each to get a work visa through relatives or recruiting agencies in Saudi Arabia.

Expatriates Welfare Minister Nurul Islam yesterday said his ministry will take legal action if any private recruiting agent received additional money from workers.

“The cost fixed by us is logical. The government will take action against any individual or institution if any allegation of charging workers an additional amount was proved,” he said.

The minister was talking to reporters after inaugurating a three-day training workshop for 41 government officials posted in 27 labour wings of Bangladesh in 24 countries at the Probashi Kalyan Bhaban.

He also warned the recruiting agents of revoking their licences if they violated the government's decision.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Golam Moshi yesterday said the fixed migration cost of Tk 1.65 lakh is much better as it is significantly lower from Tk 10 lakh for each worker.

“I think the government has considered some necessary marketing costs to ensure jobs for our workers,” he told this correspondent over the phone from Riyadh.

On August 11, he told The Daily Star that Bangladeshi workers would not need to pay money to recruiting agencies as their Saudi employers would bear the total migration costs, including airfare and service charges.

About Riyadh's decision to open its labour market to Bangladeshis in all sectors, the ambassador said the Saudi authorities would follow the same recruitment process for Bangladeshis as it does for workers from Sri Lanka, India and Nepal.

BAIRA Secretary General Ruhul Amin said they will abide by the fixed migration cost.

A total of 1.32 lakh Bangladeshis had migrated to the oil-rich country in 2008, but the number drastically dropped to 14,666 in the following year, show BMET data.

Since then Saudi jobs had largely been beyond the reach of Bangladeshi male workers. Only a few male workers secured visas through their relatives or recruiting agencies.

More than 60,000 female domestic workers landed jobs in Saudi Arabia from April last year till yesterday, said BMET sources.

According to recent media reports, the Saudi economy is now hit by falling oil prices. Many Saudi companies have suspended construction projects, resulting in job losses for foreign workers, including Bangladeshis.