The New Nation - Internet Edition

FOLLOWING the recent start of the online pre-registration, Bangladeshi nationals seeking jobs in South Korea henceforth would now be recruited through the website of the state-run Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Ltd (BOESL). According to a recent media report, some 6,600 Bangladeshi jobseekers, who have already learnt the rudiments of the Korean language, will be selected through an examination to secure jobs in five sectors like manufacturing, construction, agriculture and livestock, offshore and coast fishing and the service sector in that Far East Asian country. South Korea for the first time included Bangladesh in its official foreign recruitment system, EPS (Employment Permit System) following an agreement signed between the two countries. Through pre-registration, the intending workers will register themselves within the scheduled dates by depositing $30 each, passports and other necessary papers. The successful candidates of the Korean language test must secure 40 marks for each department and 120 marks in total out of 200.

As reported by the media, a list of the successful candidates will be sent to South Korean private companies, which will recruit workers from the list according to their requirement. Those who will not be able to get a chance will be on the pool of skilled workers and be sent on demand. The minimum wage of a worker in the above-mentioned five sectors required in South Korea is $ 850 plus overtime. Presently around 13,000 Bangladeshis are working there. The Korean employers and their government reportedly expressed their satisfaction over the work being done by the Bangladeshi expatriates following which legal steps have been taken for proper recruitment of manpower from Bangladesh through official processes.

In this regard, the foreign affairs adviser who is also in charge of the expatriate welfare and overseas employment ministry briefing newsmen said that the Korean authorities were interested in recruiting skilled workers from Bangladesh after improvement of political relations between Dhaka and Seoul through his visit. 'We don't want to use our expatriate workers as revenue earning machines and we must take care of their welfare in foreign countries,' the adviser was quoted to have said adding that the new recruitment system will ensure Bangladeshi workers' proper pay and perks. The government is trying to explore new labour markets in Jordan, Lebanon, Poland, Romania and Canada, the adviser said adding that more than 6,00,000 Bangladeshi nationals were sent abroad.

Bangladesh has been putting more focus on sending manpower to Middle-Eastern countries from where a number of ministerial delegations visited Dhaka and signed memorandums of understanding for recruiting workers from our country. The country is getting huge remittance now as more and more expatriates send home their hard-earned money to their nearest and dearest ones. Bangladesh earned the highest remittance of $ 6.5 billion last year. The government should be cautious enough in dealing with friendly foreign countries for manpower export, particularly taking lessons from the bitter experiences gathered from Malaysia, which has always been eager to take manpower from Bangladesh.