Bangladesh has called for a more transparent and efficient recruitment system for workers going to Saudi Arabia.
Expatriates’ Welfare and Foreign Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury urged lower migration costs, simpler agency registration, and more opportunities for skilled and white-collar jobs.
He made the call during a courtesy meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdullah Zafer bin Abiyah at the ministry on Monday.
The minister said nearly three million Bangladeshis are currently employed in Saudi Arabia. He thanked the Saudi government for creating jobs for them and conveyed special gratitude on behalf of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
To make recruitment smoother and more accountable, he proposed simplifying the registration process for recruiting agencies at the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka and significantly reducing migration costs for workers.
He also stressed expanding the ongoing skill verification programme, which now covers 73 professions.
He said this would ensure the recruitment of more qualified workers and reduce dependence on unskilled migration.
The minister said Bangladesh’s Technical Training Centres (TTCs) should be modernised to meet Saudi standards and jointly supervised to better prepare workers for overseas jobs.
He further proposed creating a digital database of verified skilled workers. He said this could cut recruitment time from several weeks to just a few days.
He also said the government plans to introduce the Probashi Card, in line with BNP’s election manifesto, to provide better services and modern facilities for expatriates.
The Saudi ambassador said many of the issues discussed were already included in the bilateral agreement signed between the two countries in October 2025. He suggested adding the remaining issues through further negotiations and a new agreement.
He said iqama fees are supposed to be paid by employers. However, in many cases, the burden falls on workers, which should not happen.
The ambassador also called for stronger accountability for non-compliant recruitment agencies among the 990 registered agencies in Saudi Arabia.
He proposed developing a special app in coordination with the Saudi government and embassy to ensure faster resolution of workers’ complaints.
He added that 250 Bangladeshi students are currently studying in Saudi Arabia on scholarships, with plans to increase the number to 500.
The ambassador also called for steps to launch Saudi Airlines flights between Saudi Arabia and Sylhet airport.
