Qatar has expressed strong interest in recruiting workers from Bangladesh in four skilled categories-electricians, plumbers, AC technicians and welding technicians from five designated technical training centers in the country.
Visiting Qatari Labour Minister Dr. Ali bin Saeed bin Samikh Al Marri said this during a meeting with Bangladesh’s Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury at the ministry conference room in Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital on Monday.
Ariful Haque thanked the Qatari minister for visiting Bangladesh and highlighted the significant progress in bilateral relations over the past decades.
He also highly appreciated the initiatives taken by Qatar government to ensure the welfare and resolve problems of Bangladeshi workers in Qatar.
The minister also conveyed gratitude to the Amir of Qatar for sending an air ambulance for the emergency treatment of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, describing it as a remarkable humanitarian gesture.
Ariful Haque described Qatar as a highly attractive labour market for Bangladeshi workers, noting that more than 400,000 Bangladeshis are currently contributing to the Qatar’s development with skill, honesty and dedication.
He said that 1, 07,598 Bangladeshi workers went to Qatar in 2023 and expressed hope that the number would be doubled this year.
The minister urged Qatar to establish visa and medical centers in all eight divisional cities of Bangladesh to facilitate quicker visa processing and health examinations.
He further mentioned that Bangladesh currently provides quality training in 55 trades through 110 Technical Training Centers (TTCs) under the ministry.
State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare Nurul Haque requested Qatar to recruit more skilled Bangladeshi professionals, including doctors, engineers, nurses, caregivers, imams, muezzins, khatibs and religious teachers from Bangladesh.
Praising the efficiency of Bangladeshi workers, Dr. Al Marri said nearly 473,000 Bangladeshi workers are currently employed in Qatar, around 30 percent of whom are engaged in the development sector, while the rest work in various professions.
He reiterated Qatar’s particular interest in recruiting workers in the electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning, and welding sectors from five selected Bangladeshi technical institutes.
The Qatari labour minister also said that two special training centers have already been established in Qatar to upgrade the skills of workers.
Responding to Bangladesh’s request for additional visa centers in divisional cities, Dr. Al Marri assured that he would personally discuss the matter with Qatar’s interior minister to help implement the proposal.
Among others, Qatar’s Ambassador to Bangladesh Seyara Ali Mahdi Saeed Al Qahtani, Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Md. Mokhter Ahmed and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Dr. Md. Shakilur Islam Khan and senior officials of the both countries were present.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
