DHAKA: Putting emphasis on keeping Bangladesh Embassies open for 24 hours, Planning Minister MA Mannan on Saturday (Jan 19) said the embassies officials should be labor-friendly ones.
He was addressing a debate competition titled ‘UCB Public Parliament’ arranged by Debate for Democracy at Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC).
“I know that Bangladeshi workers do not get cooperation from their embassy very easily. It must be stopped. I say, the embassies should be kept open for 24 hours. Labor-friendly officials have to be appointed in the embassy. Embassies should also play a key role in the development of labor market and its export” the minister added.
He further said “Our female workers in Saudi Arabia are being tortured. It's very inhuman…. It's too bad to hear about this. So it is time to think further about sending female workers in Saudi Arabia”.
The planning minister said “The government has a plan to build a tunnel under the Jamuna river near the Bangladesh-India border. We will also work to construct the second Padma Bridge. 20 years ago, we could not imagine that we could build nuclear power plants. But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made the dream a reality”.
Like as ready-made garments, leather, pharmaceuticals etc, without large investments, we receive 13 to 14 billion dollars of foreign earnings from the migration sector each year, which contributes 7.44 percent to GDP.
“The country was able to send 10 lakh workers in overseas countries in 2017. 7 lakh workers went abroad in 2018. About 12 lakh workers are expected to go abroad this year”, he added.
BDST: 1453 HRS, JAN 19, 2019
RS/SMS
