Qatar keen to recruit skilled workers from Bangladesh in 4 sectors
Dhaka: Qatar has expressed strong interest in recruiting skilled workers of four key occupations — electricians, plumbers, AC technicians, and welders — from five designated technical training centers in Bangladesh during the 7th Bangladesh-Qatar Joint Committee Meeting held in the capital on May 18.
The meeting took place at the conference room of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, where Bangladesh’s Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury held talks with Qatar’s Minister of Labour Dr Ali bin Samikh Al Marri.
At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Chowdhury thanked the Qatari minister for accepting the invitation to visit Bangladesh. He said the brotherly relations between Bangladesh and Qatar had significantly strengthened over the past decades.
The minister also expressed gratitude for various initiatives taken by the Qatari government to ensure the welfare of and resolve problems faced by Bangladeshi migrant workers. He particularly thanked the Emir 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.
Describing Qatar as one of the most attractive labor markets for Bangladeshi workers, Chowdhury said more than 400,000 Bangladeshis are currently contributing to Qatar’s development with skill, honesty, and dedication. Mentioning that 107,598 Bangladeshi workers migrated to Qatar in 2023, he expressed hope that the Gulf nation would recruit double that number this year.
The minister noted that Bangladesh currently has only one visa and medical center in Dhaka for Qatar-bound workers, which is insufficient compared to demand. He requested the establishment of Qatari visa and medical centers in all eight divisional cities to speed up visa processing and health examinations.
He also informed the meeting that 110 Technical Training Centers (TTCs) under the ministry are providing quality training in 55 trades related to overseas employment.
State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare Md. Nurul Haque urged Qatar to recruit more skilled Bangladeshi professionals, including doctors, engineers, nurses, caregivers, imams, muezzins, khatibs, and religious teachers, to support the country’s ongoing development projects.
Qatar’s Labor Minister Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri praised the efficiency and dedication of Bangladeshi workers, stating that around 473,000 Bangladeshis are currently employed in Qatar. Of them, 30 percent are engaged in development-related sectors, while the rest are employed in various professions.
He reiterated Qatar’s keen interest in hiring workers from five specific Bangladeshi technical training centers in the sectors of electrical work, plumbing, AC maintenance, and welding.
The Qatari minister also said two special training centers had already been established in Qatar to upgrade the skills of unskilled workers. Responding to Bangladesh’s request for expanding visa centers, he assured that he would personally raise the matter with Qatar’s Interior Minister.
Among others present at the meeting were Qatari Ambassador to Bangladesh Ali Mahdi Saeed Al-Qahtani, Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Md. Mokhter Ahmed, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Dr. Shakirul Islam, and senior officials from relevant ministries of both countries.
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