Tariq A. Al-Maeena

 

A few months ago, Saudi households were buoyed by the news that the embargo on the recruitment of domestic help as well as other trades from Bangladesh had been lifted. 



Prevented from bringing in labor from their previous favorite country, Indonesia, Saudis are now sending employment requests by the thousands to recruitment agencies in Dhaka.



The numbers are expected to rise to the hundreds of thousands as the floodgates open, and an estimated two million workers are eventually expected to arrive.



The ban on bringing in help from Bangladesh had been implemented following a series of unflattering disclosures in the Saudi media on the nefarious and illegal activities of a few Bangladeshi guest workers. 



The incidents were highly publicized and soured public opinion toward Bangladeshi workers. The majority had been unjustly maligned as a source of criminal activity, and this sort of generalization served as a gross injustice to the million plus workers who left their South Asian country to earn a living here.



With such a defenseless target, our media chose to focus on the misdeeds of a few Bangladeshi nationals caught in a web of criminal activity, and as a result, collectively tarnished a group of hard-working expatriates who are performing vital and much needed services in all parts of the Kingdom.



Bangladesh is a proud country, one that in recent times has had a turbulent political landscape littered with blood. It is unfortunate that this blood was caused by Bangladeshis fighting against each other, perhaps sparked by the personal dislike of  two dominant political personalities both of whom happen to be women: Sheikh Hasina, the current prime minister of the country and the leader of the Awami League, and Khaleda Zia, leader of the opposition party, the BNP, and a former prime minister herself. 



Both women are at odds with each other on just about every issue. These hardened stances have been an impediment to the country’s positive growth and stability.



 But Bangladesh is a resilient country.  It boasts of a diligent workforce and a thoughtfully planned educational system.



Its workforce is the reason behind the surge of multinationals seeking to establish a production presence in textile products.



The export of garments has steadily increased over the last few years with more foreign enterprises coming in, attracted by the cheap labor and favorable tax perks for setting up shop.



The majority of the country's people are young, and while that may be true of some other countries, the Bangladeshi people are not idle. 



They are hard-working and productive and given a peaceful political landscape, Bangladesh could indeed be on the road to success.



 Through the industrious activity of its people, Bangladesh is one of the few countries in the world that is almost totally self-reliant in food.   



With a population nearing 160 million and with almost 60 percent under the age of 25, the country has produced consistent economic growth for the past decade.



This has resulted in a burgeoning middle class with increased purchasing power and economic clout. The country boasts of a well-educated, highly adaptive and industrious workforce with the lowest wages and salaries in the region. 



English is widely spoken, and ongoing government programs are continually developing and upgrading the skills of the workforce.



The nation is in the process of transition from a predominantly agricultural economy to an industrial and service economy, and the private sector is playing an increasingly active role in the economic affairs of the country, while the government concentrates on the physical and social infrastructure when its attention is not diverted by political unrest. 



Even state-owned enterprises, traditionally an oasis of bureaucratic inefficiency, have been undergoing rapid restructuring.



In spite of the current political standoff, the country’s report card includes the following:  A positive annual GDP growth in the past decade; inflation in single digits; the gradual shifting from the exports of traditional goods to more value added items; emphasis on manufacturing sectors coupled with stable economic fundamentals, such as exchange and interest rates, low debt and high foreign currency reserves.



Focus on the creation of a new generation of Bangladeshi citizens equipped with the latest knowledge in science and technology has been given priority. 



The country’s goal is to make all levels of education free for all citizens, coupled with a higher salary for teachers and professors.



The country should be given more than a secondary glance as a source of cheap labor.  It is not only about family drivers and housemaids. 



The country also offers attractive investment opportunities in many industries and business ventures that would generate profitable returns to potential Saudi investors.

 

— The author can be reached at talmaeena@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena