Bangladesh’s labour market in Mauritius is set to reopen after the labour ministers of the two countries agreed to advance a bilateral recruitment framework during talks on the sidelines of the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva in Switzerland.
Expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment and labour and employment minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury met Mauritius labour minister Mohammad Reza Cassam Uteem on the sidelines of the conference on Monday, said a press release.
The two sides discussed the status of Bangladeshi workers in Mauritius, the reopening of the labour market and future areas of bilateral cooperation.
They agreed to fast-track the signing of a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in the country, which was remained largely closed for nearly four years.
Ariful also conveyed greetings from prime minister Tarique Rahman to the Mauritius government and urged the country to take an early decision on signing the MoU.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s skilled workforce, the minister said, ‘Bangladesh is ready to supply not only textile workers but also doctors, engineers, nurses, accountants and other professionals to meet Mauritius needs.’
Welcoming the proposal, Uteem said, ‘Mauritius is keen to recruit skilled workers from Bangladesh, particularly for its integrated textile industry, which faces a significant shortage of trained persons.’
He said that a draft MoU would be sent to Dhaka shortly to facilitate the reopening of the labour market.
Ariful also invited his Mauritius counterpart to visit Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh delegation included labour and employment secretary Md Abdur Rahman Tarfder and Bangladesh ambassador and permanent representative to Geneva Nahida Sobhan, among others.
