The government will send as many as 1,00,000 drivers abroad in the next five years as Bangladeshi skilled manpower of different professions, including drivers, have a huge demand in different countries.
“The government has taken an initiative to create skilled drivers because of their increased demands in different countries across the globe,” Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Dr Nomita Halder said while talking to BSS on Sunday.
She said as the demand of drivers in different countries are increasing day by day, the Skills for Employment Investment Programme (SEIP) with the association of Ministry of Finance about 1,00,000 skilled drivers would be sent abroad.
“Some 100 trainers will be created through imparting training by phases.
Twenty persons of first batch were imparted 4-day training since October 22 last,” she added.
Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry officials said this year a total of 8,34,077 workers went aboard so far. Of them, as many as 98,000 workers went to aboard only in October.
A total of 4,62,713 workers went to Saudi Arabia from January to October this year while 90,440 in Qatar, 74,943 in Oman, 42,031 in Kuwait, 34,405 in Singapore and 18,410 in Bahrain.
Japan, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Russia, Mauritius, Egypt, Jordan, Spain, Oman, Australia, Switzerland, Brunei, Thailand, Maldives, Hong Kong and several other countries has expressed keen interest to receive skilled and semi-skilled manpower, including women domestic helps, from Bangladesh, said the official.
Through labour wings of Bangladesh embassies abroad, these countries have showed huge interest to receive doctors, nurses, engineers, agriculture, tourism, construction, security, banking, fisheries and garments workers, salesman, domestic helps and drivers.
Apart from this, Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry has taken initiative so that Malaysia authorities will not detain any Bangladeshi worker until December, added the official.
The government is also working with Kuala Lumpur so that the Malaysian government would soon rehire those Bangladeshis who are now illegally working there.
