Mauritius set to reopen loabour market for Bangladeshis after four-year hiatus
MoU signing soon as the island nation seeks skilled workers for textile sector
Highlights:
- Mauritius labour market set to reopen
- Breakthrough reached at ministerial meeting in Geneva
- MoU signing process to be expedited
- Mauritius seeks skilled Bangladeshi professionals
- A draft MoU to reach Dhaka soon
- Mauritius eyes investment in Bangladesh's textile sector
Bangladesh's labour market in Mauritius, which has remained largely closed for nearly four years, is set to reopen after the labour ministers of the two countries agreed to expedite a bilateral recruitment framework during talks in Geneva.
The breakthrough came at a meeting in Geneva on the sidelines of the 114th International Labour Conference (ILC) today (8 June), where Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury met Mauritian Labour Minister Mohammad Reza Cassam Uteem.
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According to an official 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 (MoU) to facilitate the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers.
Ariful conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to the Mauritian government and urged the island nation to take an early decision on signing the MoU.
Highlighting Bangladesh's skilled workforce, the minister said the country is ready to supply not only textile workers but also doctors, engineers, nurses, accountants and other professionals to meet Mauritius' labour 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 a draft MoU would be sent to Dhaka shortly to facilitate the reopening of the labour market.
Mauritius eyes investing in textile sector
The Mauritian minister also expressed strong interest in investing in Bangladesh's textile sector alongside expanding employment opportunities for Bangladeshi workers.
At the end of the meeting, Ariful formally invited his Mauritian counterpart to visit Bangladesh.
Industry insiders said the flow of Bangladeshi workers to Mauritius declined sharply since April 2023 after Mauritian authorities reportedly became concerned about the involvement of some migrant workers in criminal activities.
While large-scale recruitment slowed considerably, a limited number of skilled Bangladeshi workers continued to secure jobs in the country.
However, Mauritian authorities have never officially disclosed the reasons behind the suspension of large-scale recruitment from Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh delegation included Labour and Employment Secretary Md Abdur Rahman Tarfder, Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to Geneva Nahida Sobhan, Deputy Secretary Mohammad Shamsul Islam, Senior Assistant Secretary Md Mahbubul Islam and First Secretary of the Bangladesh Mission Md Aminul Islam.
