The USA-Israel imposed war on Iran has hit the overseas employment of Bangladesh creating an uncertainty in the overseas job market, said Bangladesh Association of International Recruitment Agencies (BAIRA).
The manpower export during the last two months plummeted sharply with USA and Iran are at loggerhead over ending the war and ensuring peace and stability in the region.
Bangladesh exported a total of 95,092 workers in January, 65,634 workers in February, 44629 workers in March and 43,490 workers in April to overseas countries.
The creation of jobs in the local and international markets are in a shambles with growing energy prices shaking the global economic growth including Bangladesh, said a BAIRA leader.
Saudi Arabia remained the top destination in both months, though numbers declined significantly. Labour recruiters noted that low-skilled workers continue to dominate Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern routes.
Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, said: “The payment structure is still between Tk25,000 and Tk30,000. Most Bangladeshis are employed as cleaners, construction workers, and housemaids. The government has yet to renegotiate salaries with destination countries to ensure better earnings for our workers.”
.The BNP government is counting millions of taka in the energy subsidies to maintain economic engine of the economy.
However, policy-makers and BAIRA leaders also see a positive scenario out of war in the middle east. The oil-rich countries are most likely to rebuild their infrastructures, damaged in the war requiring thousands of workers. The recontraction works in the Gulf countries can give a boost overseas job markets after the USA-Israel imposed war in the middle -east ends.
Meanwhile , the Iran war will push more than 30 million people back into poverty, with the knock-on effects of the conflict likely to increase food insecurity in the coming months, the United Nations has warned.
Disruption to fuel and fertiliser supplies due to the ongoing blocking of cargo vessels through the Strait of Hormuz has already lowered agricultural productivity and will hit crop yields later this year, the UN’s development chief said on Thursday.
“Even if the war would stop tomorrow, those effects, you already have them, and they will be pushing back more than 30 million people into poverty,” said Alexander De Croo, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
He also warned of other fallouts of the United States-Israeli war on Iran, including energy shortages and falling remittances.
Much of the world’s fertiliser is produced in the Middle East, and one-third of global supplies passes through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran and the US are jostling for control.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently warned that a prolonged crisis in the strait could lead to a global food “catastrophe”.
India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, and Egypt are among the countries most at risk, according to the FAO.
“Food insecurity will be at its peak level in a few months – and there is not much that you can do about it,” De Croo said.
The knock-on effects of the Iran conflict have already wiped out 0.5 percent to 0.8 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), according to De Croo, who noted, “Things that take decades to build up, it takes eight weeks of war to destroy them.”
De Croo, the former prime minister of Belgium, also warned that the Middle East crisis is straining humanitarian efforts in other parts of the world, with the sector already facing funding cuts.
The US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which began on February 28, have also choked up key humanitarian aid routes, delaying life-saving shipments to some of the world’s worst crises.
“We will have to say to certain people, really sorry, but we can’t help you,” De Croo said. “People who would be surviving on help will not have this, and will be pushed into even greater vulnerability.”
Though India and Pakistan have estimated the number of citizens returned to their respective countries as a fallout of war in the Iran. Bangladesh has not estimated the number of migrants returned home after the war begins , said a BMET official.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India recently stated that over 12.60 lakh passengers have returned to India from West Asia since February 28.
In light of the evolving situation in West Asia, the Government of India remains actively engaged in ensuring preparedness and continuity across key sectors through coordinated response measures.
The MEA said it continues to monitor developments in the Gulf and West Asia region, with focussed efforts on ensuring safety, security and welfare of the Indian community in the region.
The Government is according high priority to the welfare of Indian seafarers in the region.
Indian Missions are extending all assistance to the Indian crew members on vessels in the region including coordination with the local authorities and agencies, extending consular assistance and facilitating requests to return to India, the Ministry said.
“The overall flight situation continues to improve with additional flights operating from the region to various destinations in India. Since 28 February, around 12,65,000 passengers have travelled from the region to India,” the MEA informed.
“Iran airspace is partially open for cargo and chartered flights. Indian nationals are advised to avoid travelling to Iran and those already there in Iran are urged to leave via land border routes, with our Embassy’s support. So far, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has facilitated movement of 2,443 Indian nationals out of Iran through land border routes,” the Ministry said.
Israel airspace is open and limited flight operations have resumed to destinations in the region, which can be used for onward travel to India.
In the UAE, airlines continue to operate limited commercial flights between the UAE and India based on operational and safety considerations, with around 110 flights expected today between UAE and India.
Flights continue to operate from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to destinations in India. With Qatar airspace partially open, Qatar Airways is operating flights to various destinations in India.
“Kuwait airspace is open. Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways have announced that they would be resuming limited flight operations from Kuwait to India soon. They continue to operate non-scheduled commercial flights from Dammam Airport of Saudi Arabia to various destinations in India,” the Ministry stated.
Bahrain airspace is open. Gulf Air is operating flights from Bahrain to various destinations in India.
Iraq airspace is open with limited flight operations to destinations in the region, which can be used for onward travel to India.B
Meanwhile, over 10,000 Pakistanis, including pilgrims, businesspersons and students, have crossed into Pakistan from Iran through the Taftan border following the US-Israel attack on Iran.
Muhammad Bahram Khan, the director of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Balochistan, said that in view of the ongoing situation in Iran, the agency has kept immigration and border management arrangements at the Taftan border fully operational and effective.
He said that, along with facilitating passengers arriving at Taftan, security requirements are also being ensured.
“From February 28 to April 8, a total of 10,619 passengers were recorded travelling through the Taftan border,” he said, adding that the influx of Pakistanis and other individuals is continuing.
He said the passengers included Pakistani citizens, students, pilgrims, and other individuals.
