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Move to reduce foreigners, hire more locals in jobs

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For what reason on earth do Sri Lankans go to Bangladesh? I know Lanka is a way more wealthier country.

Sri Lanka is a smaller and less populated country with higher per capita wealth.

But because of Indian machinations, their economy is not doing so well. So Sri Lankans have to come to Bangladesh to work, which is okay with us. They are a friendly country.

Bangladesh had to essentially give them a $200 Million loan (currency swap facility) a few months ago. The second loan of $50 million was announced last week. This was to meet loan-servicing obligations for their Chinese loan of Hambantota port and freeways.
I don't know much about Bangladesh's economy but I do know there are a lot Sri lankan clothing companies operating factories so I'm guessing they are sending people for training and management

It is not just Sri Lankan companies in Bangladesh which employ Sri Lankans which are rather small in number.

Sri Lankans have found work in Local Bangladeshi companies in very large numbers, especially as apparel buyers and product marketers. Their English skills and education is sometimes better than locals so they are sometimes preferred as companies need people like this to communicate with EU and US buyers.

Sri Lankan economy is not doing that well, this is understandable.
 
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Sri Lanka is a smaller and less populated country with higher per capita wealth.

But because of Indian machinations, their economy is not doing so well. So Sri Lankans have to come to Bangladesh to work, which is okay with us. They are a friendly country.

Bangladesh had to essentially give them a $200 Million loan (currency swap facility) a few months ago. The second loan of $50 million was announced last week. This was to meet loan-servicing obligations for their Chinese loan of Hambantota port and freeways.


It is not just Sri Lankan companies in Bangladesh which employ Sri Lankans which are rather small in number.

Sri Lankans have found work in Local Bangladeshi companies in very large numbers, especially as apparel buyers and product marketers. Their English skills and education is sometimes better than locals so they are sometimes preferred as companies need people like this to communicate with EU and US buyers.

Sri Lankan economy is not doing that well, this is understandable.
Hambantota projects cost in total 1.4 billion and loans were paid off in 2017 after the privatisation of the port, china makes up less than 10 percent of sl dept and most of it at 2 percent interest and rest lower than commercial bonds, the country dept is mainly international bonds,nothing to do with hambantota
The 50 million is the first tranche of the 200, though it's nice saarc countries doing business with each orther

When sl companies started moving apparel factories away from sl after the economic boom in the 2000s they were alot who went to set them up in countries like India Bangladesh Myanmar Vietnam, I guess they found new employment there
 
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This high number of foreign professionals in Bangladesh due to the lack of competent ones in Bangladesh does validate a previous WB report about the manufacturing sector in Bangladesh.

''Nonetheless, technical and managerial expertise levels are low in most Bangladeshi firms. More than 75 percent of firms do not have any workers with a college degree in engineering or applied science. The mean percentage of the workforce with an MBA or master’s level degree is only 2.4 percent. More than 75 percent of firms have no dedicated R&D workers. Furthermore, 55 percent of firms are managed by a person without a college degree''

WB says that many firms do not even follow basic management principles and lag behind their peers in technology adoption.

''Although robots, 3D printing and the Internet of Things (IoT) capture media headlines, most Bangladeshi firms still use basic or near-basic technologies. Around half the firms in Bangladesh’s manufacturing sector still use handwritten processes for business management; around one-third of firms do not monitor any key performance indicators (KPIs); and most firms still use fully manual or powered but manually operated basic machinery across production stages. Firms need to be enabled to climb the technology ladder''

Looks like it's better for Bangladesh's industrial sector to keep those foreigners around than to hand over the managerial positions to someone without even a college degree.

Also, Bangladeshi forumers here might talk about their country doing cutting-edge R&D in electronics & even developing ballistic missiles & SAMs, but looks like reality is very different.

Even with so many issues folks getting things done, if they can't get it done, they are hiring whoever they think can do it !
 
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Alot of Sri lankan companies overseas like banks, tele communication companies do have expat programs,
i know a couple people who have done one in a Sri lankan gas company in Bangladesh, a sl finance company in Myanmar and and sl mining company in Botswana, sl companies like to have Sri lankan in those positions for easier communication and control
They tend to be short term 3 years max and they give expat bonuses, free housing servants, drivers and long paid holiday on return,
Although it would be unfair to say only Sri Lankan companies do this since in Sri lanka pretty much all foreign companies are run by foreign workers especially foreign banks
I don't know much about Bangladesh's economy but I do know there are a lot Sri lankan clothing companies operating factories so I'm guessing they are sending people for training and management
I have seen srilankan banks in bd although I heard they closed their business and left. I’m not sure about the reason.
but telecommunications in bd is either local or Indian. I don’t see srilankan companies here
 
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I have seen srilankan banks in bd although I heard they closed their business and left. I’m not sure about the reason.
but telecommunications in bd is either local or Indian. I don’t see srilankan companies here
I was referring to sl companies operating overseas in general not only in Bangladesh, for instance a Sri lankan finance company lolc owns 2 of the largest finance companies in Myanmar and in alot more in sea like Cambodia and orther sea countries and around africa, boc also operates alot of overseas operations but I don't think they operate in Bangladesh, Sri lanka telecom owns some operations in sea and Africa
These companies offer employees alot of expat programs, especially lolc

I did know a person who worked at a laugfs subsidiary in Bangladesh in gas industry.
I don't know much about Bangladesh but I do know Bangladesh and Myanmar has a lot of sl clothing companies operating there so I'm assuming it's mostly their employees
 
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I touched this point earlier as well in a different thread.

I worked in BD for a whole year on work permit. My two cents.
1. Getting a BD work permit is more difficult than getting a work permit of China in paper, it needs a recommendation of BD business chambers of commerce or an equivalent entity. Though it looks a difficult path but it seems they are ready with blanket approval.
2. Salary is more in BD with approx 20 - 30% more than India in a similar role for skilled professional. Work pressure are less and more holidays. But if you work with international entities a Sunday working with Friday off doesn't help.
3. People are less professional and surprised to see that private companies have bureaucracy, a strict hierarchy. Managers/Client in general are not sure of what they want, exceptions are there, but largely they need to be more professional/balanced approach to work.
4. This is a very good initiative conceived, but will take at least a decade to show its result. At present I know people providing consultancy to different industries and they charge in dollars, some even are not on ground.
What kind of job do you do?
 
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Started with a steel plant, moved to IT as a subject mater expert. Now working with a major consultancy firm to develop big projects.
Do you know what are the consulting deals on the table in the BD, and how to get hands on them?
 
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Do you know what are the consulting deals on the table in the BD, and how to get hands on them?

Well depends on what types of consulting. If it is simple project Mgmt. for smaller projects then there will be no demand. But larger projects which are multi year projects will need consulting expertise, typically in civil engineering capacities.

if you are in China, then you need to contact the Chinese companies who are conducting these projects such as China Major Bridge Engg. Corp. (MBEC) for Padma Bridge, China Communication Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) for Karnaphuli tunnel, and dozens of others which are working on projects exceeding 400~500 Million pricetag. Bangladesh is on a building spree.

If you contact China embassy in Bangladesh then they might give you better idea.


By the way,

Bangladesh now ranked #1 with the largest amount of power projects signed by Chinese companies in 2019

According to statistics from the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCMB), Chinese companies signed a total of 23 power projects in Bangladesh in 2019, with a contract value of 6.07 billion USD, of which 10 were thermal power projects, with a contract value of 5.88 billion USD, and 12 power transmission and transformation projects with a contract value of 170 million USD, one new energy project, with a contracted amount of 11.18 million USD respectively. For two consecutive years, Bangladesh has become the country with the largest amount of power projects signed by Chinese companies. The top five priority countries are: Pakistan (42 projects, $5.46 billion), Indonesia (29 projects, $5.06 billion), Vietnam (25 projects, $ 4.28 billion), and Nigeria (4 projects, $2.86 billion).

The Cox's Bazaar runway extension is also going to be by Chinese contractor,

 
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Well depends on what types of consulting. If it is simple project Mgmt. for smaller projects then there will be no demand. But larger projects which are multi year projects will need consulting expertise, typically in civil engineering capacities.

if you are in China, then you need to contact the Chinese companies who are conducting these projects such as China Major Bridge Engg. Corp. (MBEC) for Padma Bridge, China Communication Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) for Karnaphuli tunnel, and dozens of others which are working on projects exceeding 400~500 Million pricetag. Bangladesh is on a building spree.

If you contact China embassy in Bangladesh then they might give you better idea.


By the way,

Bangladesh now ranked #1 with the largest amount of power projects signed by Chinese companies in 2019

According to statistics from the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCMB), Chinese companies signed a total of 23 power projects in Bangladesh in 2019, with a contract value of 6.07 billion USD, of which 10 were thermal power projects, with a contract value of 5.88 billion USD, and 12 power transmission and transformation projects with a contract value of 170 million USD, one new energy project, with a contracted amount of 11.18 million USD respectively. For two consecutive years, Bangladesh has become the country with the largest amount of power projects signed by Chinese companies. The top five priority countries are: Pakistan (42 projects, $5.46 billion), Indonesia (29 projects, $5.06 billion), Vietnam (25 projects, $ 4.28 billion), and Nigeria (4 projects, $2.86 billion).

The Cox's Bazaar runway extension is also going to be by Chinese contractor,

Anything in the private sector, and outside of civil engineering space?
 
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Do you know what are the consulting deals on the table in the BD, and how to get hands on them?
There are multiple big projects running across BD from construction, infra, port, power... Google them to get details. I left working in BD long time ago, some of my friends are still working.
Since you have Chinese ancestry you will be welcomed as almost all of them has some Chinese involvement. You need to get in touch with the Chinese company, they will very much welcoming you as they are in short of skilled manpower. They are welcoming Indians as well to bridge the gap.
But if you want to do a freelance its difficult as its a more or less organized sector, almost all of them has the big 4's/equivalent involved. But again its contact, if you have you can. BD is very bureaucratic and ... .
Anything in the private sector, and outside of civil engineering space?
Whats your core skills.
 
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Whats your core skills.
Best to say setting up manufacturing, automation of big facilities/manufacturing lines. Some EE, embedded programming, manufacturing engineering in consumer electronics space.
 
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Anything in the private sector, and outside of civil engineering space?

If you want to explore the private sector it is best to contact the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI). They have all Bangladeshi Chambers (therefore, business people) under their umbrella. They are well connected with all global chambers and may be able to help contact businesspeople.


BDjobs is a nice website for jobs and contracts.


You can also look in LinkedIn for location specific to Bangladesh

 
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