Dear Junaid Bhai
You have written a perfect piece and I passionately agree with every
letter.
In reply I can only add:
AMEEN
Best wishes
Ezajur Rahman
Kuwait
--- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "junaid.sultan" <junaid.sultan@...>
wrote:
>
>
> Dear Mr. Mohammed and Mr. Ejazur
>
> I cannot differ with both of you. In my humble opinion the
Government
> (political or be it is non political) is the root cause of all the
> problems. Little or no attention was given to NRBs by any quarter
and by
> any Government though they are the major foreign currency earner
for the
> country. I suggest:
>
> · First thing the Government should do is to cut the number
> of the recruiting agents drastically. Government (political or
> non-political) never cared to control the recruitment process. The
> recruiting agents grew like mushrooms especially under the
patronage of
> political governments and with the blessings of politicians who had
> ill-motives. It is difficult for any Government to control hundreds
of
> the recruiting agents. There are big flaws in the recruitment
process
> and it cannot be rectified unless you are dealing with limited no.
of
> agents.
>
> · Secondly, there should be restrictions on unskilled
> workers. Both of you must have experienced it and know more than me
that
> we are portrayed as "Nation of Cleaners" in the Middle Eastern
> countries. This situation should not prolong anymore. Again, I
shall be
> blaming all Governments (past and present) for their lack of far
> sightedness. When we started exporting manpower on large scale we
should
> have realized and planned to train our manpower on vocational skills
> like electricians, plumbers, fitters, mechanics etc. etc. More
> importantly, they should have minimal knowledge of spoken language.
>
> · Thirdly, we must have some national dignity. Competiveness
> is OK but we must have a fixed minimum salary. Why different
companies
> in Saudi Arabia or that matter in Kuwait can get labors at as low
price
> as at SR 250 or KD 20 only from Bangladesh but not from any other
> country. Again the Government is responsible for that. As a matter
of
> fact this started at a very early stage when we started exporting
> manpower from Bangladesh on large scale. I know that the Government
of
> Bangladesh in late 70's made a deal with ARAMCO (at that time
> Arabian American Oil Company now Saudi Arabian Oil Company) for
> supplying skilled manpower to that company. The military Government
of
> Ziaur Rahman with Bureau of Manpower, Government of Bangladesh as
the
> local agent of ARAMCO agreed to supply skilled manpower to ARAMCO at
> much lower wages compared to their counterpart from India and
Pakistan.
> Above that, the job of an Indian or Pakistani was pensionable but
the
> job of a Bangladeshi was not. The Government with its short
sightedness
> did not realize the impact of it at later stages.
>
> · Fourthly, we should try to export educated people like
> Engineers, Scientists and other Professionals especially in the oil
> sector. Our Engineers and Professionals, though very short in
number,
> have done splendidly well generally in all sectors particularly in
oil
> sector. Both of you know that the jobs in oil sectors in the Middle
> Eastern countries are very lucrative, better paid and better
respected.
> (I believe that Brother Ejazur works in Oil Sector). We need to
change
> our national image in these countries. People should realize that
we are
> producing not only cleaners but Engineers, Scientists and other
> Professionals also.
>
> However, all these are long term solutions. What is urgently
required is
> to restore the confidence of these poor labors especially in Saudi
> Arabia. Again, Government in general and the Embassy in particular,
will
> have to play a big role in it. Saudi Arabia is a big country. The
> Embassy staff should visit smaller cities and should talk with the
> people, may be in Drawing Room gatherings. If a worker has already
> signed a contract, I don't know the Embassy can be of any help. But
> the Embassy should help a worker out if he is not being paid
regularly
> or he is being declined from his right for a vacation. Hardees
Burger,
> Macdonalds or KFC may be a luxury to them but at the least they
deserve
> two square meals in a day.
>
> To Brother Mohammed, I know you are disappointed with the present
state
> of affair in the country. I know no one can sing patriotic songs
with
> empty stomach. I know that though we got an opportunity to get out
of
> this situation after 1/11 but this opportunity was wasted again as
some
> quarters got over ambitious. Only Allah knows if we are moving
towards
> 2/22 which shall be more dangerous that 1/11.
>
> Misuse of power is corruption. Be it is MIG 29 case, be it is NIKO
case
> or be it is extending ones own service or be it is promoting
himself to
> higher position. But I have the very firm conviction that we shall
come
> out of this situation soon. We shall be able to do justice to all
these
> evils. We shall prevail.
>
> Lot of regards
>
>
>
> Junaid
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "ezajur" <ezajur.rahman@> wrote:
> >
> > Dear Mohammed Bhai
> >
> > Greetings to you from sunny Kuwait!
> >
> > The debate you refer to was not on the subject of labourers at
all.
> > Brother Junaid and I debating a different subject. Please note
that
> > we were aiming at a different bullseye.
> >
> > I agree with your statement that the origin of the problem is
> > recruitment. Your statement aims correctly at the bullseye and
> > travels accurately half way towards the bullseye. But it does not
hit
> > the bullseye. Because the bullseye on the labour issue, as on so
many
> > issues, is called –
> >
> > POLITICIAN.
> >
> > Who is elected to protect the interest of the labourer?
> > Who is empowered to intervene on behalf of labourers?
> > Who protects the interests of criminal manpower agents?
> > Who promotes the interests of criminal manpower agents?
> > Who is responsible for the enforcement of valid labour contracts?
> > Who is responsible for the punishment of illegal labour contracts?
> > Who is responsible for the policies of Embassies abroad?
> > Who accepts bribes from criminal manpower agents?
> > Who accepts campaign finance from criminal manpower agents?
> > Who is responsible for the basic training of labourers?
> > Who is responsible for the attitude of foreign companies to our
> > labourers?
> > Who is responsible for negotiating with foreign governments?
> > Who is responsible for the image of Bangladesh in our labour
markets?
> >
> > Some will just love to make excuses and give the answer –
> BUREAUCRAT!
> >
> > But the correct answer is POLITICIAN.
> >
> > Brother, pray for political reform, because without it our
labourers
> > will find no peace.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Ezajur Rahman
> > Kuwait
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In alochona@yahoogroups.com, "Mohd. Haque" haquetm83@ wrote:
> > >
> > > I am new, looked at todays (22.03) mails, few looks interesting,
> > > specially those on Kuwait issue. As I am writing from Saudi
Arabia,
> > a
> > > small pinch of , the agony, pain and sufferings that these
unpaid
> > and
> > > maltreated workers has to go through, is felt. Can not realize
in
> > > full but a little pinch. Hunger is only realized by the hungry.
The
> > > debaters indulged themselves in sophisticated wordings that
like the
> > > state department's release do not shoot the arrow to the bulls
eye.
> > >
> > > Origin of the whole trouble is `recruitment', wrong people for
> > > wrong job, for wrong incentives for wrong (inflated) cost. It
seems,
> > > so far no one bothered to look into the real issue. Perhaps the
> > > perpetrator's strong link with the powerful. When the system
fails
> > to
> > > provide handful of jobs yet successfully created enough
barricades
> > > and obstacles to all the available opportunities.
> > >
> > > 3 to 4 million jobs that creates a safety cushion for the
economy
> > > and for the society, as a major contributor to the national
> > > exchequer, systematically being neglected and undermined.
Recently,
> > > joined the bandwagon of the western politics of hatred and
acrimony
> > > against the Mideast's society that also spills over the poor
> > > Bangladeshis. Uneducated poor and dangerously politicized, half
> > > educated and poorly qualified professionals from the
systematically
> > > destroyed educational system, from the middleclass who found in
> > > their desperate quest for a living and on their own initiatives
> > > landed in these countries only to stand alone for their own
causes.
> > > Government and its local embassies were not any hope, the
officials
> > > manned these places hopelessly untrained. They have less
negotiating
> > > power, their diplomacy usually proves inefficient, their
prudence
> > and
> > > working abilities demonstrates poor output.
> > >
> > > When, little improvement could have benefited the country
> > > enormously, left with such an incapable situation only proves
that
> > > how the whole machinery wants to put, not only the expats in
serious
> > > uncertainty but the whole nation at stake. As this has been
done in
> > > every aspect of our national resource building.
> > >
> > > Singing patriotic songs become the only means to make known how
> > > much they love their country, when the country in last 37 years
> > > attained very little, in relative or absolute terms, rather
lost big
> > > infrastructures what it had. But no one would agree to accept
that.
> > > Because they do not like to see their mentors are maligned.
> > >
> > > 2 million expats in Saudi passing fearful days, baily road,
press
> > > club, national media has no time and energy to focus on the
matter
> > > effectively. Human rights, civil rights national rights, human
> > > dignity, national sovereignty does not imply here. A superfluous
> > > notion, false pride and alien behavior eating away the vitals,
the
> > > traditional values of our nation. Yet the literates as usual
busy
> > > composing their next episode of unethical comics. What a pitty.
Many
> > > do not see this, they do not want to see this. They want us to
think
> > > on something else, more flashy.
> > >
> > > It is my conviction that economy has been systematically
> > > destroyed, just see what has been built (with all the
depriviation)
> > > during 24 years of pak rule, world biggest jute mills, numerous
> > > cotton and textile mills, sugar mills, steel mills,
> > hydroelectricity,
> > > three big universities, monumental parliament house, plan for
> > nuclear
> > > power etc. In 36 years how many Jahangirnagar university were
built,
> > > how many steel mills, paper mills, hydro power nuclear power
plants
> > > were set up, rather made to disappear what we had. This
comparison
> > > will appear as a dangerous phenomenon to many. As they simply
can
> > not
> > > fathom the waist breaking hunger and biting cold or deprivation.
> > > Half of the population remain in such a inhuman conditions
simply do
> > > not move them in its true reality, perhaps, because they have
spat
> > > their mentors in this case.
> > >
> > > Seeing a cleaner eating on paper on the roadside in Jeddah, when
> > > I offered him a `hardees burger' he wondered `burger ki bhai',
like
> > > wise indulgence of our literates never really go deep into our
real
> > > trouble. Look at any institutions all occupied by the cronies.
We
> > > failed to build any credible institutions then blaming
everything to
> > > politicians. If the teachers in our unis do not understand what
is
> > > good and unitedly fights for it, passing the blame to others
many
> > > finds it tenable. When the main institutions suffers from
> > credibility
> > > and professionals dance like wolf they say- democracy.
> > > No wonder with a significant force society has been divided in
> > > dubious ideals, AL, BNP, that let the million to perish without
> > basic
> > > necessities. Few with lofty ideals but no sense of human
feelings
> > and
> > > characteristics managed to gain a significant power to exert
their
> > > pressure, breaking us further, destroying our remaining basics
with
> > > clever design. If I may quote one- why Dhaka University kept
> > > preoccupied with issues not mainly related to education, so that
> > half
> > > literates can be manipulated better. How our primary and
secondary
> > > education made to suffer under the hands of incompetents. Just
find
> > > out how many of those with lofty ideals strongly urging for a
good
> > > device to educate our nation. Very few.
> > >
> > > When they clamour for own literature, poetry, song or drama and
> > > go against foreign, of all these, it is only because the cheap
and
> > > low quality of their song, novels, drama can be marketed for
sale.
> > > But they never see the foreign politics, unfair trade practice,
> > > foreign interference, subservient policies and oppressive rules
and
> > > regulations of our governance, and destruction of our economy,
> > > because they make their living out of it.
> > >
> > > Many with malicious behavior, submissive attitude and
subservient
> > > thinking that is being propagated through the powerful media,
acts
> > of
> > > those effectively remain at large, those who sees them already
> > > incapacitated by the national and international policies.
> > >
> > > We should strongly urge to educate our population first, mainly
> > > on commerce and practical science. Next time you go on
vacation, I
> > > would urge being your compatriot, visit your primary or
secondary
> > > schools, check their library and spend 10 riyal, dirham or
dinar to
> > > donate text books or learning tools. These should be your best
gift
> > > to the nation and to those who after 37 years of our dream fight
> > > still made to live in subsistence.
> > >
> > > Sending those illiterate laborers to Saudi, or middle-east, who
> > > sent bulk of the remittance deserve serious attention. Our
system
> > > will not or can not assist much, but you can really help.
> > > It is not their religion, not their culture, but it is our
> > > national economy and pride all at a stake. 7 crore of your
brothers
> > > or sisters when lives on less then 100 taka (3 kilos of rice) as
> > > human their only right now is food, not their thinking pattern
or
> > > what new tradition they should adopt.
> > >
> > > Haque
> > >
> > > Send instant messages to your online friends
> > http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
> > >
> >
>
------------------------------------
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