The government has taken an initiative to send nearly 100,000 drivers abroad in the next five years for their increased demands in different countries across the globe.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Dr Nomita Halder said Bangladeshi skilled manpower of different professions, including drivers, have a huge demand in different countries, the Skills for Employment Investment Programme (SEIP) with the association of Ministry of Finance about 100,000 skilled drivers would be sent abroad, reports BSS.
Twenty persons of first batch were imparted four-day training since October 22 last," she added."Some 100 trainers will be created through imparting training by phases.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry officials said this year a total of 834,077 workers went aboard so far. Of them, as many as 98,000 workers went to aboard only in October.
A total of 462,713 workers went to Saudi Arabia from January to October this year while 90,440 in Qatar, 74,943 in Oman, 42,031 in Kuwait, 34,405 in Singapore and 18,410 in Bahrain.
Japan, Greece, Italy, South Korea, Russia, Mauritius, Egypt, Jordan, Spain, Oman, Australia, Switzerland, Brunei, Thailand, Maldives, Hong Kong and several other countries has expressed keen interest to receive skilled and semi-skilled manpower, including women domestic helps, from Bangladesh, said the official.
Through labour wings of Bangladesh embassies abroad, these countries have showed huge interest to receive doctors, nurses, engineers, agriculture, tourism, construction, security, banking, fisheries and garments workers, salesman, domestic helps and drivers.
Apart from this, Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry has taken initiative so that Malaysia authorities will not detain any Bangladeshi worker until December, added the official.
The government is also working with Kuala Lumpur so that the Malaysian government would soon rehire those Bangladeshis who are now illegally working there.