“Ease visa conditions for Bangladeshi restaurant workers”

“Ease visa conditions for Bangladeshi restaurant workers”

Dhaka, Apr 26 - State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury has called on the UK government to ease visa conditions for Bangladeshi restaurant workers who want to work in the UK’s hospitality and catering sectors.

Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury was speaking as chief guest at a high profile dialogue hosted on Thursday by the UK’s All-party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Bangladesh.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem, Bob Blackman MP and APPG vice-chair Lord Karan Bilimoria spoke at the event while APPG on Bangladesh Chair Rushanara Ali MP presided over the dialogue.

The state minister praised the government's ongoing efforts to improve the well-being and welfare of Bangladeshis living around the world, including those in the UK.

He also noted that the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the UK have reached new heights in the last 15 years due to the progressive foreign policy of Bangladesh government. However, the state minister said that there are still many areas to be explored to further broaden and deepen the Bangladesh-UK long-standing historic relations.

The state minister particularly mentioned that Bangladeshi restaurants in different UK cities and towns are facing severe skilled staff shortages as the UK raised the minimum annual salary to 3800 pounds, an amount that is not affordable for many restaurant owners.

He requested the UK Government to lower the minimum annual salary for the people working in the hospitality sector. He also said, Bangladesh can provide skilled construction workers and farm workers who can work in the UK as seasonal workers.

The state minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment hoped that the Bangladesh government would work together with the UK government to create more job opportunities for the Bangladeshi skilled workers, including restaurant workers, doctors, and nurses.

High Commissioner Saida Muna Tasneem has said that the Bangladesh High Commission, London, is working towards providing more job opportunities for skilled Bangladeshi workers in the UK.

She noted that many caregivers from Bangladesh have been recruited in the UK over the past few years. Besides, the recruitment of seasonal farm workers from Bangladesh has also commenced.

Rushanara Ali MP made a welcome speech at the event. 

High UK Parliamentary officials and eminent members of the British-Bangladeshi community attended the programme.

Earlier, the state minister attended an event organised by the British Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce.-UNB