Russia agrees to raise Bangladeshi workforce to 1 lakh by next year

Dhaka: Russia has agreed to work towards increasing the number of Bangladeshi workers employed in the country to 100,000 by next year after Bangladesh proposed a major expansion in manpower cooperation during Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman's ongoing visit to Moscow.

According to a statement issued by the foreign ministry, Dr. Rahman urged Russia to increase the intake of Bangladeshi workers to 100,000 within the next year. The Russian side responded positively and agreed to pursue the initiative on an expedited basis.

At present, around 10,000 Bangladeshis are employed in Russia, with a significant proportion working in the shipbuilding sector. Both sides are expected to complete the required formalities for the expanded recruitment program in the near future.

The proposal was discussed during Dr. Rahman's three-day official visit to Russia, which also centered on strengthening bilateral trade and technological cooperation.

A separate statement said the foreign ministers of the two countries discussed expanding opportunities for Bangladeshi workers through safe and secure employment channels. They also emphasized the early finalization of pending memorandums of understanding and agreements, including the readmission agreement and the human resource agreement.

During the meeting, Dr. Rahman also requested the safe repatriation of several Bangladeshi nationals stranded in Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assured that his government would give the matter full consideration.