The decision taken by Saudi Arabia to reform the much-hyped Kafala or sponsor system has come as an opportunity for outbound Bangladeshi workers.
According to global media reports, the Arab country started implementing its amended labour law on Sunday under which foreign workers would get chance to switch jobs without their employers' permission.
According to a report of Qatar-based news media Al-Jazeera, the country's ministry of human resources and social development in November last year announced plans to amend the Kafala system under which workers are tied to a single employer who alone can renew or terminate their residency and work status in the country.
Referring to the rights groups, the report said the system makes workers, particularly those who are working in construction and doing domestic work, vulnerable to abuse by their employers.
Reports of employers confiscating workers' passports, forcing them to work excessive hours and denying them wages are not uncommon.
Under the kingdom's revised system, migrant workers can now switch jobs upon the expiry of their work contracts.
Workers will also be able to transfer jobs during the validity of their contract provided they notify their employers within a set timeframe, the report also said.
Besides, workers will be exempt from "exit authorisation", allowing them to travel indefinitely without the permission of their employers.
Provisions are being made for the workers who are not offered work contracts or have not been paid their salaries, the authorities said.
Several gulf countries have made reforms of their Kafala system in recent years, once prevalent across the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, it said.
It is a good initiative but it should be brought all foreign workers under the benefits of reformation of the Kafala system, said Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme (OKUP) chairman Shakirul Islam.
He said all categories of foreign workers would not be to take advantage of changing the Kafala system, especially the workers who were working under domestic help category including drivers and gardeners.
He also stressed the need for implementing the law and making the process easier for the workers.
Mr Islam, however, said the system actually should be abolished to ensure the rights of workers properly.
More than 2.0 million Bangladeshis are now staying with jobs in the oil-rich country.
