BB database for expatriates

The Bangladesh Bank has decided to create a database of the expatriate Bangladeshi workers.

Expatriates will be able to post personal information in the database linked to the central bank's website.

The initiative, which begins this week, is aimed at gathering information about Bangladeshis working in various countries, said the bank spokesperson and Executive Director M Mahfuzur Rahman.

"The database will give a clearer picture about the expatriates and enable us to locate the problems they face," he told bdnews24.com.

Expatriate Bangladeshi workers usually run into trouble due to a complicated recruitment process back home.

The government recently said it wanted to extend its national database in a way to curb illegal recruitment for overseas employment.

Many desperate job-seekers end up paying fortunes to agents in the hope of landing a well-paid job.

People from Bangladesh and outside would be able to communicate with expatriate Bangladeshis through this database, he said.

The database will also provide information and suggestion for the expatriates about facilities back home and the sectors in which they can invest their hard-earned money.

It will also have information on how to send remittance home and how the expatriates can take part in economic activities in Bangladesh.

The expatriates can post their problems, complaints and opinions on this website and maintain communication.

Remittance sent by expatriates is the mainstay of Bangladesh's economy. The amount was nearly $14.5 billion last fiscal.