Bangla Press Desk: Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia on Thursday signed a landmark agreement on labour recruitment, marking the first formal deal for general workers in the 50-year history of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Asif Nazrul, adviser to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, signed on behalf of Bangladesh, while Engineer Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Raji, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, signed for Saudi Arabia.
Bangladesh has sent workers to Saudi Arabia informally since 1976. While the two countries signed special agreements on domestic worker recruitment in 2015 and skill certification in 2022, no formal general worker recruitment agreement existed until now.
Officials expect the new agreement to increase the recruitment of skilled workers from Bangladesh and to better protect the rights and interests of both workers and employers. The deal is also expected to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations.
Before the signing, the Saudi minister and the Bangladeshi adviser held a bilateral meeting. Asif Nazrul raised key issues, including ensuring correct recruitment contracts, assigning employers responsibility for Iqama renewal, and providing exit visas promptly for workers wishing to return home. The Saudi minister instructed relevant authorities to take immediate action and urged Bangladesh to play an active role in ensuring safe and orderly migration.
The meeting also discussed boosting cooperation in recruiting and training skilled workers, as well as ensuring the welfare and protection of expatriate workers.
Bangladesh’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Md Delwar Hossain, Mission Deputy Chief SM Nazmul Hasan, Labour Counsellor Muhammad Rezaye Rabbi, and other officials from both countries attended the ceremony. This article was originally published on Daily Sun.
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