BD disagrees on KSA's condition about sending female workers
Mentioning that torturing Bangladeshi female workers in the Kindom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and their returning home will come down to zero, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad has said Bangladesh will say no the Middle Eastern country if it creates pressure to send a female labourer alongside a male one in the country.
Saudi Arabia has imposed an unwritten condition that Bangladesh must send a female worker to send a male one that meant maintaining their equal numbers.
Many Bangladeshi women went to KSA to change their fate, but instead, they experienced untold repression there and had to return home. Some ill-fate female workers could not come back home alive but dead.
News of torturing them on mass media prompted the Bangladesh government to uphold the matter of female workers' protection with importance in the meeting of joint technical committee of both countries on an end to repression.
In an interview, Minister Imran Ahmad talked to Jago News about global labour market, skill of Bangladesh labourers, present condition of Bangladeshi female workers in KSA, Dhaka's efforts to protect them and so on.
Jago News: The government's last promptness about female workers in Saudi Arabia....
Imran Ahmed: The matter of women workers' protection has recently been discussed with due importance at the meeting of two country's joint technical committee. Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia have agreed to several issues there.
After the meeting on November 26 and 27, no female worker, so far, has been reported to have returned home that means result of the taken decisions started coming. These decisions would bring down female labourers repression in KSA and their return to zero level.
Jago News: Is there any change in the process of sending female worker?
Imran Ahmad: It was decided in the meeting that the government will have detailed information about recruiting agency concerned, its counterpart in Saudi Arabia and the owner under whom a female worker will work.
If any female worker complains about any irregularity or mistreatment happened with her, w'll suspend license of the recruiting agency home and ask our embassy not to respond to the plea of KSA's recruiting agency concerned.
Jago News: How repressed women will get remedy?
Imran Ahmad: 'Musaned System' exists in Saudi Arabia for domestic helps. Now the country launched a new department through which a female worker can make her complaint and it would be taken into account, the country committed at technical committee's meeting.
Apart from this, the path of filing case by female workers has been made easier.
Before, a female worker had to stay in Saudi Arabia until her lawsuit against the concerned comes to end that was about impossible for her on security and accommodation grounds. Now decision was taken that accuser worker can return home giving power of attorney to Bangladesh Embassy though her case is under trial.
Jago News: What will you say about unwritten condition of Saudia Arabia that Bangladesh requires to send a female worker alongside a male one to the country?
Imran Ahmad: Recently they (Saudia Arabia) has made such plan but we disagree with them. If they mount pressure to this regard, we will say them sorry and think different.
Jago News: Is there any diplomatic weakness behind the crisis grew up?
Imran Ahmad: There is no diplomatic weakness of Bangladesh in case of discussing with Saudi Arabia that's proof is quick outcome of the recent meeting.
Through diplomatic efforts, Bangladesh will resolve the workers related problems occurred in any country, including Saudi Arabia.
