Manpower deal with Korea in May

The expatriates welfare and overseas employment minister has said a new agreement will be signed with South Korea to send Bangladeshi workers to that country.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 16 April 2014, 03:44 PM
Updated : 16 April 2014, 03:44 PM

Khandker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters after a meeting with South Korean Ambassador Lee Yun-Young that the current agreement with the East Asian country would end on Jun 14.

He said there would be some new guidelines in the fresh agreement which will help resolve some existing problems with manpower export.

“Issues like bringing back illegal immigrants, preventing future illegal immigration and recruitment based on merit and age will be prioritised.”

Almost 10,000 Bangladeshis have gone to South Korea to work, and among them 11 percent are now living there illegally, the country says.
Korea takes workers under six categories from different countries, but only takes factory workers from Bangladesh.
Minister Hossain said the government had urged the country to take workers in other categories as well.
Under the existing agreement, South Korea takes 2,000 workers every year, but this year it will take 700 more, he said.