Oman to recruit 10,000 Bangladeshi farm workers, fishermen: Shama Obaed

Oman has agreed to recruit 10,000 workers from Bangladesh, including 5,000 agricultural workers and 5,000 fishermen, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said.

The agreement was discussed during a meeting between the state minister and an Omani delegation at the Foreign Ministry in Dhaka on Wednesday (September 9).

The two sides have been working to expand employment opportunities in Oman for skilled Bangladeshi workers in the agriculture and fisheries sectors, she said.

Shama said Bangladesh had held discussions with Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture, leading to an agreement to recruit 5,000 agricultural workers and an equal number of fishermen.

A deal has already been signed, she said, adding that an Omani delegation will visit Bangladesh next month to discuss the recruitment process in detail. The process will be finalised after consultations with the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

An approved quota for 5,000 Bangladeshi agricultural workers is already in place in Oman. Recruitment under the quota is being carried out through members registered with Oman’s agriculture association and distributed across different regions, according to the state minister.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is continuing diplomatic efforts to restore regular visa services for its citizens travelling to Oman. Shama said visa processing for Bangladeshis had been suspended for various reasons, but the government was working to ensure that Bangladeshi workers could resume travelling to Oman on a regular basis.

Labour cooperation has remained a key issue in bilateral discussions between Bangladesh and Oman this year, she added.