Shipping and Labour and Employment Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr M Shakhawat Hossain has called on the Singaporean government to recruit more skilled Bangladeshi workers, particularly in the shipping industry.
He made the appeal during a bilateral meeting with Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-Charge of Trade Relations, Grace Fu, held at the Ministry of Commerce in Singapore on Wednesday, according to a release from Bangladesh’s Ministry of Shipping.
Dr Shakhawat highlighted that a significant number of qualified mariners graduate each year from Bangladesh’s public and private marine academies, and said their expertise could greatly benefit Singapore’s shipping sector. He also noted that employing Bangladeshi workers would contribute to increasing Bangladesh’s foreign currency earnings.
In addition, he pointed to Bangladesh’s global reputation in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector and the growing international demand for Bangladeshi apparel and jute products, encouraging Singapore to expand imports in these areas.
Describing Bangladesh as a “true friend,” Minister Grace Fu reaffirmed Singapore’s commitment to signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Bangladesh to reduce the trade imbalance and enhance economic cooperation. She also assured support for Bangladesh’s human resource development.
Dr Shakhawat invited Singapore to invest in key sectors in Bangladesh such as shipping, RMG, pharmaceuticals, leather, ceramics, and jute products. He especially urged investment in establishing an international-standard dockyard or shipyard at the under-construction Matarbari deep sea port.
He also requested Singapore to ease the process of issuing transit and work visas for Bangladeshi seafarers and to extend technical cooperation in training port management personnel.
Senior officials from both countries attended the meeting.
