Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said that Africa wants to take 4 million Bangladeshi agricultural workers.
He made the announcement in a video message on Friday at a time when Bangladeshi workers are facing crisis due to pandemic.
“I have recently written to the ministers of several countries to employ more Bangladeshi workers in the agricultural sector. We got good information,” Dr Momen said.
“Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia want to take 4 million Bangladeshi workers in agriculture sector. Bangladesh's ambassadors to these countries are working on this.
So during the time of crisis, new possibilities are also being created,” he said in a note of optimism.
Remittance is the mainstay of Bangladesh’s economy. But after the pandemic lockdown, many workers lost their jobs and were compelled to return home.
Some Middle-eastern countries also requested to take back Bangladeshis who have no jobs.
The foreign minister said the government has taken several steps to ensure that expatriates can be involved in various activities abroad, especially in the Middle East.
“As oil prices plummeted due to the pandemic, governments in those countries have taken steps to repatriate migrant workers. We have discussed with many governments in the Middle East how to keep them. They have responded to our request,” he said.
“Among them (who responded to the request) are the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait.”
“We have told those countries that our workers in your country have made the desert completely green. Once upon a time you used to import vegetables from abroad. If you keep our expatriates, they will make the desert more prosperous like Bangladesh,” Dr Momen said.
“I have told the governments of that country that you can involve them in other activities, we will cooperate, he said.
“Secondly, we said, you eat halal meat. You take meat from Australia-Brazil. From now on you take halal meat from us, take chicken, beef. If you want to open industry in Bangladesh, then the people of our country will be happy.”
The foreign minister earlier through his own initiative started a ‘life changer’ programme in the Middle-eastern countries.
Under the programme, Bangladeshis receive training while working abroad to upgrade their job.
For example, Dr Momen told Bangladesh Post earlier that a cleaner after receiving training can be a driver and earn eight times more.
