Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia have discussed expanding manpower export and recognising Bangladeshi skills to strengthen bilateral labour cooperation during a meeting held in Geneva.

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury held the talks with Saudi Vice-Minister for International Affairs Dr Tariq bin Abdul Aziz on the sidelines of the 356th Governing Body session of the International Labour Organization (ILO), said an official handout here today. 

During the meeting, the Bangladesh minister urged Saudi Arabia to increase recruitment of workers from Bangladesh and recognise skills acquired locally.

Prime Minister's Adviser on Labour, Employment and Education Mahdi Amin, Labour Secretary Md Abdur Rahman Tarafder and Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to Geneva Ambassador Nahida Sobhan were present in the meeting.

The minister conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to the Saudi leadership and thanked the Kingdom for ensuring the safety of Bangladeshi workers amid the recent Middle East situation.

The Saudi side expressed willingness to recruit more skilled workers from Bangladesh, recognising their contribution to the country's development.

Both sides emphasised strengthening cooperation in skills development, including upgrading technical training centres and expanding Arabic language training for prospective migrant workers.

The Saudi vice minister invited the Bangladeshi minister to visit Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed commitment to deepening bilateral labour cooperation.