UNB, Dubai :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged her UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to remove the obstacles towards reopening Bangladesh labour market in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Sheikh Hasina came up with the request during a meeting with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, also the UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, at the Zabeel Palace in Dubai.
Responding to the request, the UAE Prime Minister said the matter could be resolved through government-level talks like holding discussions between the UAE Interior Ministry and the Bangladesh Home Ministry. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque said both the leaders during the meeting highlighted development in various fields in their countries alongside focusing on priority areas for investment and business.
PM’s Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and PM’s Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhury were present at the briefing. The UAE Prime Minister appreciated Sheikh Hasina’s government for its decision to construct the much-awaited Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project with own funds.
About the Bangladeshis working in the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum appreciated their works. The Ruler of Dubai also expressed his interest to invest more in Bangladesh’s energy, infrastructure, agriculture and tourism sectors.
About the reopening of the labour market in the UAE, Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque said the market is getting opened, but it is yet to be done.
“There’s a hurdle which is known to all and there was no detailed discussion on the issue.”
Referring to the successful operations of some UAE airliners in Bangladesh like Emirates and Etihad, the UAE Prime Minister noted that these airliners are doing good business in Bangladesh and extended his thanks to the Bangladesh Prime Minister to this end.
Shahidul Haque also said the discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere where both the leaders discussed issues of mutual interests. About the two agreements with UAE on security cooperation and transfer of sentenced prisoners, Additional Secretary of the Home Ministry Kamaluddin said the agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners has been inked keeping interests of both the countries.
He said Bangladesh also has such agreements with other countries, including India.
About the agreement on security cooperation, he said this deal will help enhance cooperation between Bangladesh and the UAE against terrorism and human trafficking.
Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and State Minister for Labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu were present at the meeting.
The UAE, the second largest manpower destination for Bangladesh after Saudi Arabia, has restricted its labour market for the Bangladeshi workers like many other countries. At present, more than a million Bangladeshis work there.
