Staff Reporter:
Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul yesterday said expatriates are one of the driving forces of the national economy.
“The support and sacrifice of expatriates in achieving the victory of the July Uprising is unparalleled. The government is committed to their welfare,” he told an event.
The program on the best use of Wage Earners Welfare Board small entrepreneur investment or remit-tance was arranged at Probashi Kallyan Bhaban in Dhaka.
Speaking as the chief guest, the Adviser highlighted various programs taken by the interim government for the welfare of expatriates.
He said the government has introduced voting rights for expatriates for the first time and as a result, they will be able to exercise their voting rights even while living abroad.
Multivisa arrangements have been made for Bangladeshi expatriate workers in Malaysia, he said, adding that Bangladesh signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia for sending workers.
This is the first time in the 50-year history of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh that a formal agreement on general employment has been signed, Dr Asif Nazrul said.
He mentioned that through this agreement, the recruitment of skilled workers in various professions from Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia will increase and the rights and interests of workers and employers will be further protected.
“We have started sending workers through a digitised system. We have taken the initiative to send work-ers based on their skills. We have made arrangements for the registration of female workers in Jordan without fees and without any restrictions,” he said.
The adviser said in the past, the Bangladeshi expatriates could bring one mobile phone with them duty-free when coming to the country, but “we have increased it to two”.
Expatriate lounges have been set up for expatriates at airport and initiatives have been taken to set up a hospital partially owned by expatriates, he said.
He mentioned that if this trend continues in the coming days, milestone progress will be achieved for the welfare of expatriates.
Dr Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Em-ployment, presided over the program.
Barrister Md. Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan, Director General of Wage Earners Welfare Board, and Dr Val-antine Achancho, IFAD’s Country Director for Bangladesh, also spoke.
