(BSS) - Bangladesh’s labor market in Mauritius is set to reopen after remaining closed for a long period, as the two countries have reached a policy-level agreement to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) soon.

The decision was made during a bilateral meeting between Bangladesh’s Minister for Labour and Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury and Mauritius’ Minister of Labour, Muhammad Reza Cassam Uteem, on the sidelines of the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva today.

The meeting focused on the current situation of Bangladeshi workers in Mauritius, the reopening of the previously closed labor market and future areas of bilateral cooperation. Both the sides agreed to expedite the signing of a MoU governing the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers for employment in Mauritius.

At the outset of the meeting, Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury conveyed warm greetings to the Mauritian government on behalf of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He urged the Mauritius government to take a positive decision toward the swift signing of the MoU to facilitate the employment of Bangladeshi workers.

Highlighting the capabilities of Bangladesh’s skilled workforce, the minister said that, in addition to the workers for the textile sector, Bangladesh is prepared to send doctors, engineers, nurses, accountants and other skilled professionals to Mauritius. At the conclusion of the meeting, he formally invited the Mauritian labour minister to visit Bangladesh.

Welcoming the proposal, Minister Muhammad Reza Cassam Uteem said the Mauritian government is highly interested in recruiting skilled workers from Bangladesh, particularly for the country’s integrated textile industry, which requires a substantial number of qualified personnel.

He assured the Bangladeshi side that a draft of the proposed MoU would be sent to the Bangladesh government soon to facilitate the reopening of the labor market. He also expressed Mauritius’ strong interest in investing in Bangladesh’s textile sector alongside expanding employment opportunities.

The Bangladeshi delegation members were Labour and Employment Secretary Md. Abdur Rahman Torofdar, Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to Switzerland Nahida Sobhan, Deputy Secretary Mohammad Shamsul Islam, Senior Assistant Secretary Md. Mahbubul Islam and First Secretary of the Bangladesh Mission Md. Aminul Islam.