Dr. Asif Nazrul met Oman's Minister of Labour Dr. Mahad bin Saeed bin Ali Baowain Salim Al-Busaidi on the sidelines of the Global Labor Market Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Jan 27, 2026 (BSS) - Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul has lauded the Omani government's move to regularise undocumented Bangladeshi workers without fines.

He appreciated this initiative during his meeting with Oman's Minister of Labour Dr. Mahad bin Saeed bin Ali Baowain Salim Al-Busaidi on the sidelines of the Global Labor Market Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, yesterday (Monday). 

Asif Nazrul also discussed avenues to ease the entry of skilled Bangladeshi professionals, including engineers, doctors and nurses, into Oman's labour market. 

At the same time, he urged a review of the suspension on visas for unskilled and semi-skilled Bangladeshi workers. 

The Omani labour minister explained that the temporary suspension, in place since 2023, was aimed at prioritising the regularisation of irregular and undocumented expatriates. He assured that new work visas for Bangladesh would reopen within the next two months. 

The adviser further underscored issues of migration management, stressing the use of technology for transparency and accountability, legal reforms, skill assessment before deployment, and pre-departure training to familiarise workers with the host country's language, culture and laws. 

Asif Nazrul also proposed holding the next session of the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) in Muscat in the first half of this year. In addition, he invited the Omani labour minister to sign the already finalised memorandum of understanding to strengthen bilateral relations and expand labour cooperation.