Oman Reopens Labor Market to Bangladeshi Workers in 12 Categories

Bangladesh’s ship-breaking industry, which has led the global market for nine years, is facing challenges in complying with international environmental standards following the 2023 ratification of the Hong Kong Convention. The industry must meet these standards by June 2025, but a shortage of skilled workers, technical experts, and financial resources is hindering the transition. Despite efforts, only four ship-breaking yards have received green certifications in the past seven years, and even certified yards struggle with safety and expertise issues.

Bangladesh is lagging in climate education and action, according to a recent World Bank report titled "Choosing Our Future: Education for Climate Action." The report reveals that only 3% of Bangladeshi grade-8 students correctly answered a set of six basic climate change questions, and just 32% of secondary students answered at least one question correctly. Despite 93% of secondary students acknowledging climate change and 40% feeling personally affected, many are not confident in their ability to take action.

Labour migration from Bangladesh to South Korea is expected to fall short of the 11,500 job quota set for 2024, with only 1,978 workers securing positions in the first eight months. South Korean employers have reduced demand for foreign workers, impacting all source countries, including Bangladesh. Despite Bangladesh's strong semi-skilled workforce in sectors like motor vehicles, rubber, apparel, and food, the sluggish demand, coupled with factors like early job switches and limited language proficiency, has hindered job placements.

In July 2024, Brunei began recruiting Bangladeshi workers under a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement, hiring 25 workers for construction, services, and hospitality. The MOU for this agreement was signed in October 2022 during a visit by Brunei's Sultan to Bangladesh. Under the deal, Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) is responsible for worker recruitment, with private recruiters excluded. BOESL's contract with recruitment companies started in February, receiving 400 job requests from 100 employers.

The Cabinet Division has mandated all government offices to replace single-use plastic items with eco-friendly alternatives to combat environmental pollution. This includes using paper or other sustainable materials instead of plastic files and folders, cotton or jute bags instead of plastic ones, and glass bottles and glasses in place of plastic ones. Banners should be made from cotton, jute, or biodegradable materials, and plastic lamination on cards and leaflets should be avoided.

In August, Bangladesh witnessed a significant drop in labor exports, with only 50,426 workers sent abroad, marking a 29% decrease from July and a 63% year-on-year decline. This sharp reduction, the lowest in 35 months, is primarily attributed to political unrest following widespread student protests, which culminated in the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5.