Saudi envoy urges accountability among non-compliant recruiting agencies, proposes app for worker complaints
The minister proposes creating a digital “qualified talent bank” to speed up worker recruitment
Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdullah Jafar H Bin Abiyah has urged the government to bring under accountability those recruitment agencies that fail to comply with rules among the 990 Saudi-registered agencies, while also proposing a dedicated app to quickly resolve migrant workers' complaints.
The issues were raised during a courtesy meeting between Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury and the Saudi ambassador at the ministry in Dhaka today (27 April).
In response to Bangladesh's request to reduce Iqama fee, the envoy noted that although iqama (residency permit) fees are supposed to be borne by employers, in many cases the burden is shifted onto workers, which he said should not happen.
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He called for stronger oversight to ensure that non-compliant agencies among the 990 registered in Saudi Arabia are held accountable.
To improve grievance redressal, the ambassador proposed creating a special mobile application in coordination with the Saudi government and the embassy to ensure faster resolution of complaints from Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom.
Minister Ariful thanked the Saudi government for providing employment opportunities to around three million Bangladeshis and outlined plans to introduce a "probashi card" to expand services for migrant workers.
He also stressed reducing migration costs, simplifying recruitment agency registration at the Saudi mission in Dhaka, and expanding the ongoing skills verification programme, currently covering 73 trades.
The minister further proposed creating a digital "qualified talent bank" to speed up recruitment and reiterated the government's zero-tolerance policy against irregularities, illegal transactions, and worker harassment in overseas employment.
Both sides also discussed modernising Bangladesh's technical training centres in line with Saudi standards, increasing skilled and white-collar job placements, and enhancing cooperation under existing bilateral agreements signed in October 2025.
The Saudi envoy also noted that scholarships for Bangladeshi students in Saudi Arabia could increase from 250 to 500 in the future and called for steps to launch Saudi Airlines flights to Sylhet.
Senior officials from both sides were present at the meeting.
