Bangladesh is fast becoming one of the hottest destinations when it comes to foreign employment.
Authorities in the country admit that the number of foreign workers in the country have dramatically increased the past few years. Some industry observers claim that the reliance on immigrant workers has been because of the country’s lack of local labor force with adequate technical know-how.
According to sources, the garment sector holds the largest number of foreign employees in the country, especially for positions like cutting masters, designers, merchandisers, production managers, senior sewing operators, and washing experts.
Top countries that have sent workers to Bangladesh include India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Philippines.
Bangaladesh Bank likewise released some data that says foreign employees earned about $5 billion in salaries and allowances for the previous year.
Furthermore, the Board of Investment (BOI) declared that between 2019 to September of 2015, the country has issued 7,030 new work permits. They even went out to detail that for the past seven years, 1,574 of these permits were from the first 9 months of 2015. During the same period, 2,167 foreign employees renewed their work permits in the country.
Back in 2014, BOI issued 3,511 extensions – definitely a jump compared with 2013’s 2,907.
Some people on the industry, however, find the data quite alarming particularly about the fact that some foreign nationals are working in the country without valid documents.
Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu, vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said “We are preparing the database as the number of foreign workers, including the undocumented ones, is increasing day by day.”
Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) seeking to apply for a position in Bangladesh should make sure that they are properly documented and that they work with legitimate recruiters. That way, legal problems and untimely departure could be averted.