TDS Desk:

A 23-member Bangladeshi delegation was scheduled to go to France this month to participate in WorldSkills Lyon 2024, a global skills competition.

In view of this, the National Skill Development Authority (NSDA) sent an advance of €87,700 (around Tk1.15 crore) to meet expenses related to accommodation and travel in Paris.

The delegation, which included eight contestants and seven experts from Bangladesh, had been greenlit for the competition to be held between 5 September-15 September by the Prime Minister’s Office during the term of the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina.On 31 July, the PMO issued an official Government Order (GO) regarding the tour, with the delegation members then applying for their visas.

After the fall of the Hasina government, the NSDA sent a proposal to the Chief Adviser’s office on 22 August to re-issue the government order referring to the overall issue.

In view of that, the chief adviser’s office directed the NSDA to cancel the GO and take steps to recover the advance in a letter on 2 September.

The NSDA, under the office of the chief adviser, then sent an email to the organisers asking for a refund on the same day.

According to the letter, the NSDA sought the refund citing non-participation on the instructions of the chief adviser.

It also mentioned the recent severe floods as the reason.

The reply from the organisers, Worldskills International, however, brought a new headache.

The organisers said in an email the same day that the money had already been spent on hotel, food and transportation. Therefore, even if Bangladesh did not participate, there was no scope of getting the money back.

Expressing the inability to refund the money on the same day, the WSL2024 said “Unfortunately, the WSL2024 cannot refund any money as they have already spent it – our policies ensures there is no profit made on packages and each member pays for the products and services they use.”

“Because we are already seven days before the opening ceremony, the WSL2024 have paid all the subcontractors for all the accommodation, transport, food and beverages, etc for your delegation. Unfortunately it is not refundable at all. The sub-contractors would not allow cancellation at this stage.”

The NSDA then again wrote a letter, signed by Nasreen Afroz, the NSDA executive chairperson, to the finance ministry to inform them of the organisers’ reply, a copy of which has obtained.

According to the letter, the money had been sent by the government treasury through the Bangladesh Bank to Worldskills International’s designated bank account on 16 April.

As per the policy of WSL2024, Bangladesh had sent the package price before the start of the tournament.

The package policy also said no refund would be given if the booking was cancelled.

Tried to reach out to the NSDA executive chairperson, but she did not answer her phone.

In 2017, Bangladesh became the 79th member of the World Skills International. In 2019, it participated in the World Skills Competition organised in Russia and then again in 2022 in Switzerland and Finland.