Govt to launch database of overseas jobseekers by Mar

The government is set to launch a database of overseas jobseekers by March this year, officials said.

Only those who have already decided to go abroad with jobs will be able to include their names on the databank, they said, adding that passports are mandatory for new jobseekers while the options of skills and less-skills will be mentioned in the registration forms.

Besides, they said, the database of workers will be created for all job markets.

Rownaq Jahan, secretary in charge of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, said they have almost completed necessary works to launch the database of overseas jobseekers.

Candidates for overseas jobs will be enlisted from all over the country so that they can send at least 1,000 workers from each district, she said.

However, the Awami League in its election manifesto announced that minimum 1,000 workers would have to be sent abroad from each district.

"We have already taken a decision that manpower recruiters have to hire all workers from the database after the enlistment programme starts," Ms Jahan added.

Although it is being created focusing on the Malaysian market, she said, workers for all markets will be recruited from the databank.

"We will keep option for skilled and less-skilled workers in the registration forms so that we can categorise the workers and provide necessary training to less-skilled ones."

In reply to a query about the previous database, the secretary said it will not be merged with fresh one. "We have also taken an initiative to make a databank of returnee workers."

Earlier, the ministry created a database of about 1.5 million outbound jobseekers in 2013. But an insignificant number of workers included in the database went abroad. Private recruiters found it inappropriate for hiring workers, insiders said.

Talking to the FE, Nurul Islam, director at Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), said there are some differences between the previous database and fresh one. It will be a 'clean' databank where only the jobseekers who have decided to go abroad will be enlisted.

Without passport, aspirants will not be allowed to get registration in it, he said, adding that it will be a continuous process where jobseekers can be enlisted round the year.

"There will have another good option that we can refer a required number of workers from the databank and employers can select randomly," he added.

Shakirul Islam, chairman of Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme (OKUP), said the database is necessary to eliminate middlemen.

But it should be a complete and effective database where recruiting agencies can hire their required manpower for any country, he added.

The previous database was made on an ad hoc basis. For this reason, many aspirants were enlisted, but they failed to go abroad. So, the authorities concerned should be careful about this issue, he said.

More than 12 million Bangladeshis went abroad with jobs since 1976. Most of them went to Middle East countries, according to the BMET data.

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