Dhaka, Bangladesh – Oman has expressed interest in recruiting 10,000 workers from Bangladesh, split equally between agriculture and fisheries, as the two countries move to expand labour cooperation, a Bangladeshi minister said.

Shama Obaed Islam, Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs, said an agreement has been signed covering the proposed recruitment.

“Oman has expressed its interest in recruiting 5,000 farmers and 5,000 fishermen, a total of 10,000 people from Bangladesh, and an agreement has also been signed,” she told reporters at the foreign ministry, according to state news agency BSS.

Representatives of the Omani government are expected to visit Bangladesh next month to discuss implementation with the relevant authorities, she said.

“During their visit, they will hold discussions with the relevant ministry to finalise the details,” Shama added.

The proposed recruitment comes as Dhaka seeks to restore wider access for Bangladeshi workers to Oman, where visa restrictions for some categories remain in place.

Shama said Bangladesh is pursuing diplomatic efforts with Muscat to enable workers to travel to Oman more regularly.

“We are making efforts through diplomatic initiatives to ensure that Bangladeshi workers can resume going to Oman on a regular basis,” she said.

Bangladesh is also placing greater emphasis on technical education and skilled migration as part of its overseas employment strategy.

Shama said Dhaka has highlighted to Oman its plans to develop a larger pool of skilled workers capable of meeting requirements across different sectors.

Oman has shown interest in the approach and the two countries are working together to advance cooperation, she added.

Bangladesh is one of South Asia’s largest sources of expatriate labour for Gulf economies, with overseas employment and remittances playing an important role in its economy.

Dhaka is also engaged with other Gulf countries over visa and documentation issues affecting Bangladeshi nationals, but Shama said some of those challenges are also being faced by workers from other South Asian countries.