DHAKA: The Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment is set to appoint labour councilors in six countries.

The countries are Korea, Japan, England, Russia, Egypt and South Africa, according to official sources.

The appointment is expected to help Bangladesh to expand its labour market in those countries as well as serve the labour in times of their different needs, said a senior official of the ministry.   

Prospect of labour market in Japan has grown up as the country has expressed keen interest to recruit around 5000 garment workers from Bangladesh, the official added.

At present, Bangladesh has labour councilors in 13 missions abroad.

These are: Malaysia, Singapore, Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain in UAE, Iraq, Oman and Libya.        

But, the position of the labour councilor in Iran has been vacant for a while now.

At present, there are Bangladeshi missions in 48 countries.

Labour councilors are very important position in terms of looking after the rights of the laboureres in the foreign soil.

In absence of labour councilor in many places, the first secretary of the mission usually performs the duty.



Presently over 60 lakh Bangladeshis work abroad, and the majority of them are in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Malaysia, Singapore, and Libya.

BDST: 1753 HRS, AUG 17, 2010.