During his two-day visit, which began on 17 May, he held meetings with top Bangladeshi officials. At the seventh Bangladesh-Qatar Joint Committee meeting held on 18 May, Qatar expressed interest in skilled workers from Bangladesh. In particular, the country showed interest in recruiting workers in technical fields such as electricians, plumbers, welders, and AC technicians.

Qatar’s labour minister said that around 473,000 Bangladeshis are currently working in Qatar, and nearly 30 per cent of them are employed in development projects. He also said that Qatar wants to recruit skilled workers directly from five specific Technical Training Centers (TTCs) in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh government is also viewing the visit as the opening of new opportunities. According to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, 107,598 workers from Bangladesh went to Qatar in 2023. Relevant officials have expressed optimism that this number will increase further this year.

But the question is: how realistic and humane is the enthusiasm for sending new workers at this moment? Has the time really come to send more workers to Qatar?