Recession in Brunei caused by shrinking oil prices began to hurt expatriate workers including from Bangladesh.

It is for the first time in the history of oil rich and under-populated Brunei that expatriate workers are facing irregular payment of wages.

Recession caused by shrinking oil prices is expected to slash job opportunities for expatriates fear workers from Bangladesh.

A group of 20-25 Bangladeshi workers recently complained to the Bangladesh High Commission’s labour wing in Bandar Seri Begawan that their wages for two months fell arrears.

A labour wing officer of the Bangladesh High Commission posted the information on the mission’s official facebook page.

Labour wing officials helped the workers realize their arrear due wages from their Indian employer.

Bangladesh High Commission’s first secretary at the labour wing Jelal Hossain confirmed to New Age that the facebook page post was authentic.

He said that due to recession job opportunities in Brunei began to shrink.

He said that the Bangladesh mission was receiving complaints of irregular wage payments from the workers of Bangladesh.

He said that currently about 20,000 Bangladeshis were working in Brunei.

WARBE Development Foundation chairman Syed Saiful Haque called upon the Bangladesh government to adopt a framework for the welfare of ‘our workers’ if they come back home.

He said that the framework adopted Mexico and the Philippines could be followed for ‘our workers.

Migrant rights activist and Awaj Foundation director for migration Anisur Rahman Khan said Bangladeshi migrant workers in Brunei told him that they were concerned over job opportunities shrinking in the oil rich sultanate.

Since 1992, Brunei recruited over 70,000 Bangladeshi workers, according to the records of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training,

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