As part of the ongoing strategy to expand Bangladesh’s manpower exports, the country’s president Iajuddin Ahmed urged Romanian official to include workers from his country in the developmental works of Romania. The president has offered skilled and semi-skilled workers when the outgoing Romanian Ambassador Vasile Sofineti paid a farewell visit at Bangabhaban, the official presidential house.
A major portion of Bangladeshi economy is build up by remittances from the country’s expatriate workers. Last year the remittances achieved were $6bn. The present caretaker administration has set up a seven-point strategy which includes taking care of the well being of their expatriates as well as exploration of new markets to offer their man power. Through the new strategy the country is aiming to increase their man power presence in markets including European countries like Norway, Sweden and not to mention Romania.
Earlier, Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Sofineti had trade talks of developing a Bangladesh House in Bucharest to exhibit the Bangladeshi products there. Experts believe the growing concern of the dimming employment prospects in Saudi Arabia, the largest destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers, owing to lower oil prices and bad image of the workers created by the media has spurred the government to seek jobs elsewhere.
Notwithstanding, the president gave assurance to Sofineti that the country would have a free and fair elections which would be held on December 29. Political instability and natural calamities have devastated the country in recent times.
The Middle East contribute largely to the Bangladesh’s Migrant remittances, and according to a report by the Royal Danish Embassy, Dhaka in their Vision 2015, the country is seen as a leading manpower exporter. The objective of the administration is to sustain the momentum and achieve the target of $30bn through migrant remittances by 2015.