Work visas for Bangladeshis from April 20

(MENAFN- Arab News) The Kingdom will start issuing visas for Bangladeshi workers beginning April 20 the Ministry of Labor announced on Monday.
This follows a recruitment pact signed last month between the two governments said Ahmed Al-Fahaid deputy labor minister for international affairs.
Al-Fahaid and Bangladesh Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Khandker Mosharraf Hossain signed the agreement in Dhaka.
Al-Fahaid said it was a comprehensive pact that protected the rights of employers and workers. Bangladeshi workers must be in good health have no criminal convictions and training in their professions.
They must also be aware of the Kingdom's religious and cultural environment and labor regulations he said.
At present there are 1.2 million Bangladesh workers in the Kingdom. The Kingdom recently lifted a 2008 ban on the hiring of workers from that country.
In an earlier statement Hossain said that his country has a data center that has registered more than two million workers for foreign employment.
They are trained workers including engineers nurses and 500000 maids. Dhaka has set up 64 centers to train workers.
Labor Counselor at the Bangladesh Embassy Mohamed Sarwar Alam told Arab News recently that it was good news for his country.
In January Labor Minister Adel Fakeih said the Kingdom wanted to hire trained workers. He welcomed the transparent vetting process instituted by all parties involved in the recruitment process.