Bangladesh urges Kuwait to expand manpower recruitment

Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) has urged Kuwait to recruit more workers from Bangladesh to strengthen bilateral labor cooperation.

He made this call during a meeting with Kuwaiti Ambassador to Bangladesh H. E. Ali Th A Q Hamadah at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Monday afternoon.

Highlighting the strong historical ties between the two nations, the advisor noted that around 280,000 Bangladeshis are currently working in Kuwait. He encouraged the Kuwaiti government to increase recruitment, particularly of male workers, alongside female domestic workers.

In response, the ambassador expressed Kuwait’s willingness to import more manpower from Bangladesh and reaffirmed the country’s longstanding support as a Muslim and Asian ally. He recalled Bangladesh’s assistance in the post-Iraq-Kuwait war rehabilitation and mine clearance, where 270 Bangladeshi soldiers lost their lives, and 56 were injured. The ambassador emphasized the need for a formal agreement between the two nations to facilitate smoother manpower exports.

The meeting also covered other areas of mutual interest, including security cooperation, assistance for Rohingya refugees, and strengthening law enforcement capabilities.

The advisor welcomed Kuwait’s ongoing contributions to Bangladesh’s development and urged the country to step up aid for Rohingya refugees if the U.S. withdraws its assistance through USAID. The ambassador reassured Bangladesh of Kuwait’s continued support for the Rohingya crisis, emphasizing Kuwait’s role in advocating for them on the international stage since 2017.

Regarding Bangladesh’s law and order situation, the advisor stated that security had improved significantly since August 5 and continues to get better. The ambassador thanked the government for ensuring the safety of the Kuwait Embassy and the Baridhara diplomatic zone during this period.