During the meeting, Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said the long-standing friendly relations between Bangladesh and Thailand and the celebration of the 54th anniversary of diplomatic relations are an important milestone. He deeply welcomed Thailand's visionary initiative and said it would help open a viable and effective pathway for recruiting workers for Bangladeshi citizens.
He emphasized establishing an ethical and responsible worker recruitment system and said, 'We want a system where the employer will bear the initial recruitment cost, standard employment contracts in the local language will be ensured, and there will be effective protections for workers' welfare, fair wages, housing and medical insurance.'
Minister of State for Expatriates' Welfare Md. Nurul Haque said Thailand needs skilled manpower, and Bangladesh has an endless reservoir of manpower. He urged the Thai delegation to recruit skilled workers through Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESEL).
Ministry Secretary Md. Mokhtar Ahmed said that besides 'blue collar' professions, Bangladesh also has suitable workers for 'white collar' jobs in Thailand. Culturally and climatically, Thailand is a good destination for Bangladeshi workers. However, he stressed transparent recruitment processes, sending workers at low cost, and working jointly to ensure workers' rights.
Chairman of Thailand's Senate Standing Committee on Labour Nitrutti Suthinon said Thailand is currently contracted with four countries for worker recruitment. However, due to recent border tensions with Cambodia, recruitment of workers in construction, halal factories and agriculture has been halted. To overcome the resulting worker shortage, Thailand is interested in signing an agreement with Bangladesh as a fifth country. However, he expressed concerns over issues such as overstaying after visa expiry, using Thailand as a transit to other countries, and human trafficking when recruiting workers from Bangladesh.
Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury gladly accepted the Thai delegation's proposal and expressed hope that by quickly resolving the identified concerns of Thailand, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) could be signed between the two countries soon.
The delegation also included Vice Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Labour Chinachot Sensank and Dr. Pirasith Kunlartaripon, member of the Labour Working Committee. Additionally, Additional Secretary Ahmadul Haque, Joint Secretary Debjit Singha, and other senior officials of the ministry were present.
