Dhaka, July 17 (IANS) Mauritius is phasing out male workers and hiring only women from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, a newspaper report here said Friday, quoting a local labour recruiting agent.
The recruiting agent, who was not named, said the southern African island nation would not send back workers before their job contracts expire but it now has a policy of not hiring male workers from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.

Bangladesh has been concerned at reports from Mauritius that the latter will send back 6,000 workers, employed mainly in its garment industry.

“On Wednesday alone, 86 female workers flew to Mauritius,” the recruiting agent told The Daily Star newspaper.

This was confirmed by an official of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment who said a recruiting agent sought permission to send several hundred women workers.

“Mauritius has not been issuing work visas to male workers for several months now as part of its policy. But it is hiring female workers as per demand,” said the agent.

Recently, Mauritius approved companies there to hire 5,000 female workers from Bangladesh for garment and Tuna packaging factories, said the recruiting agent, requesting anonymity. Of them, 4,000 will work in garment factories.

Manpower export is a major foreign exchange earner for Bangladesh that sends out millions of workers. But many have been sent back home in the wake of global recession.

Malaysia, which last year had over 130,000 Bangladeshi workers, cancelled 55,000 workers visas this year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met her Malaysian counterpart Najib Tun Razak on the sidelines of the 15th Non-Aligned Summit in Egypt Thursday. She requested him to recruit more manpower from Bangladesh and ensure all facilities for professional betterment of the Bangladeshi expatriates.

In reply, Najib assured Hasina of ensuring necessary facilities for the Bangladeshi people there, the New Age newspaper said.