The visiting minister, who left for Bangladesh yesterday, told the governor that his country attaches great importance to relations with Saudi Arabia and described it as a historic and multifaceted alliance that had received fresh impetus in the recent years under the leadership of Prime Minister Hasina Wajed.
Responding to the comments, the governor remarked the people of Saudi Arabia hold the people of Bangladesh close to their hearts.
He expressed hope the two countries would be able to engage more in utilizing Bangladesh’s human resources for mutual benefit.
The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office Shaikh Wahid-Uz-Zaman, Secretary to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare Dr. Zafar Ahmed Khan and Bangladesh Ambassador Mohammed Shahidul Islam were also present at the audience with the governor.
Earlier on Sunday, the undersecretary at the Interior Ministry Dr. Ahmad Al-Salem called on the Bangladesh Minister at the Royal Conference Palace in Riyadh.
The two sides identified the areas of mutual concerns and were convinced that joint efforts would help overcome existing challenges and broaden the horizon of cooperation.
The Saudi minister spoke on the tremendous contribution made by the Bangladeshi workforce in the Kingdom while noting incidents of legally and socially unacceptable behavior by a few members of the community.
The undersecretary appreciated the electronic registration procedure and smart card system for Bangladeshi overseas workers introduced by the Government of Bangladesh recently to screen more qualified candidates for overseas job opportunities.
He also hoped a high level Saudi delegation would go to Bangladesh to see for themselves the opportunities available for Saudi employers with regard to hiring workers there.
The visiting minister also made a courtesy call to Eastern Province Gov. Prince Muhammad bin Fahd in Dammam on Monday.
During his visit to Jeddah, he had discussions with his Saudi counterpart Adel Fakeih on matters of mutual interest to both countries.
The Saudi minister detailed the parameters set out by his government regarding the optimum and balanced use of Saudi as well as overseas human resources in the Kingdom and requested Bangladesh to make the best use of available opportunities to provide the Kingdom with more skilled and semi-skilled manpower.
The visiting minister illustrated the various measures taken by Bangladesh to upgrade human resources in his country and to establish a transparent and accountable procedure by which the country’s manpower may go abroad in a cost-effective manner and sustain the reputation that Bangladeshi workers have earned in the international arena.
He enumerated the measures taken to enlist individuals with a good background and send them abroad on fair terms.
The two sides agreed that a broad-based delegation led by the Saudi Labor Minister would visit Bangladesh to see for himself the measures put in place by the Bangladeshi government and explore more possibilities of cooperation in the field of human resources.
It was also agreed that a joint working group comprising representatives from the Bangladeshi ministries of expatriates welfare and overseas employment, foreign affairs and home affairs, would be established to periodically review human resources that are sent abroad.