Riyadh for a system in Bangladesh to protect foreign job seekers

The visiting Saudi delegation on Monday requested the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training to put in place a government mechanism to protect the country’s workers seeking jobs abroad from being deceived, BMET officials said lter.

At a meeting with the BMET director general, the visiting delegation raised various queries relating to the process under which Bangladesh sends its workers abroad, thy said.

The meeting took place at the BMET conference room.

Saudi Arabia also wants to be sure that the official mechanism in Bangladesh would ensure proper recruitment of workers for foreign jobs, they said.

Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Hajja, a top official of Saudi interior ministry, led his country’s delegation.

At the 150-minute meeting, BMET director general Begum Shamsun Nahar led the Bangladesh side.

 Senior BMET officials briefed the Saudi team about the online database of workers developed in Bangladesh, the recruitment process on government to government basis, issuance of bio-matrix card (smartcard) by Bangladesh government and pre-departure training centres.

Expatriate welfare and overseas employment ministry joint secretary Abu Hena Mostfa Kamal, who attended the meeting, told New Age on Monday that the Saudi officials mainly emphasized on cutting down the migration cost of Bangladeshi workers.

Higher migration costs lead the workers to create various ‘social problems’ in the destination countries, the Saudi officials told their Bangladesh counterparts, he said.

 Saudi Arabia believes in freedom of the expatriate workers, the visiting officials said.

Bangladesh officials said that it would require each worker to bear the migration cost of Tk 20,000 as Saudi employers provide the airfare.

They said that the workers would be selected for jobs in Saudi Arabia and other countries from the government’s database either by a government agency or private recruiting agencies in Bangladesh.

They said that the introduction of the database of workers made the recruitment process in Bangladesh transparent.

Later, the Saudi officials saw the computerized database at BMET office.

They visited Bangladesh-Korea Technical Training Centre and Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Technical Training Centre at Mirpur in the city.

The Saudi officials paid a courtesy call on foreign secretary Md Shahidul Haque at his office.

 Saudi Arabia, a major destination for Bangladeshi workers, drastically cut down worker recruitment from Bangladesh since 2009, shows BMET documents.

BMET director general later said that the Saudi officials expressed their satisfaction over the meeting and also the modern system of recruitment in Bangladesh. (Source)

Court rejects bail for 34 BNP leaders

A court in Dhaka on Monday rejected the bail petitions of 34 opposition leaders and activists including Zainul Abdin Farroque, Amanullah Aman and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in two cases filed for assaulting police and blasting cocktails near BNP central office on March 11.

The two cases were filed with Paltan Police Station against these leaders on March 12.

Acting Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Anisur Rahman rejected the bail petitions after hearing the pleas of both prosecution and defence counsels.

The defence counsels --- Sanaullah Miah and Masud Ahmed Talukder — told the court that there was no specific allegation against the accused and the cases were also ‘baseless’ and urged that the accused should be set free on bail.

In reply, additional public prosecutor Shah Alam Talukder opposed the bail plea.

Following the rejection, Sanaullah told reporters they would move to the High Court, seeking further order.

On March 20, metropolitan magistrates had rejected bail petitions of 148 people and remanded them for eight-day each.

Among the 148, the defence counsels of 34 accused submitted the bail petitions on March 25 against the rejection order of the chief metropolitan magistrate.

Meanwhile, subinspector Mahmudul Hassan, the investigating officer of one of the two cases filed under the Speedy Trial Act, submitted the charge-sheet of the case on March 28 accusing 148 people. (Source)

Limon taking HSC exams

Limom Hossain, who had have the left leg amputated after being shot at the Rapid Action Battalion two years ago, took the Higher Secondary School Certificate exam on Monday.

‘I have lost one of my legs, but I will not lose the battle,’ he said after taking the first day’s exam.

He said still he would need to go a long way to get rid of the false cases filed by the battalion.

He said his challenge was to do well in the exam and prepare himself for a suitable job.

Limon’s mother Henoara Begum, who accompanied him to reach the exam centre, said they were facing financial constraints to run the legal battle against the battalion.

College student Limon, who used to work at a brick kiln to support his family, was shot in the left leg by the battalion men during a raid at their village at Rajapur upazila in Jhalakathi on March 23, 2011.

The incident took place just a fortnight before his first year final exams, depriving him of taking the exams.

The battalion also field two cases against Limon branding him as a criminal. (Source)

Shibir president, 2 others in 14-day police custody

A metropolitan court in Dhaka on Monday remanded Islami Chhatra Shibir president Delware Hussain Sayedee and two of his associates in police custody for interrogation for seven days in two cases filed with Mohammadpur police station.

Metropolitan magistrate Harun-or-Rashid passed the order rejecting their petitions seeking bail in the two cases.

The Mohammadpur police station subinspectors Mahabubur Rahman and Afzal Hossain produced the three – Delwar, Mahmudul Hasan and Shoeb Sarker – before the court.

In their applications, the police officers said that the accused terrorised people exploding crude mobs in front of Care Hospital on Mirpur Road and obstructed the police from discharging their duties during general strike called by Jamaat on February 28. (Source)

Tarique Rahman now in Madina

Bangladesh Nationalist Party senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman is now in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah and meet with leaders of the party’s Saudi Arabia unit.

Tarique along with his family members arrived in Jeddah from London on Monday morning, BNP Saudi unit leaders said. 

His wife Jubaida Rahman and daughter Jaima Rahman, among others, are accompanying Tarique. From Jeddah he flew to Medina.

Tarique along with his wife and daughter arrived in Medina at around 10:30am on Monday, Juba Dal Medina unit general secretary Zaman Ahmed Sumon told New Age over telephone.

Tarique’s former close aids, including Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu, Rumon Rahman, and Belayet Hossain, have gone to Saudi Arabia from Bangladesh and other countries to join him, BNP Saudi unit leaders said.

Tarique is scheduled to stay three days in Medina, when he will offer prayers at Al-Masjid an-Nabawi and perform ziarat of the holy Rawja Mubarak of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM).

Tarique offered Johr and Asr prayers at Al-Masjid an-Nabawi on Monday.

On April 3, he will go to Makkah to perform Umrah at the Kaaba Sharif, JD leader Sumon said.

He will stay three to four days in Makkah.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Tarique will hold meetings with leaders and activists of different BNP units in the kingdom, party sources said.

This is his first visit outside the United Kingdom since he left Bangladesh for London in September 2008 during the army-backed caretaker government just after being released on parole from jail for medical treatment.

BNP Saudi Arabia (West) unit president Ahmed Mukith, among others, received Tarique at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, party sources said. (Source)