Speaker calls for safe, rights-based migrant worker destinations.
Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikrom, today said Bangladesh should be developed as a destination for migrant workers, stressing that migration is not merely about remittances but also involves the rights, dignity and security of people.
"Migration is not just about money sent from abroad. It is also linked to the rights, dignity and security of our people. Behind these remittances lie the hardships and immense sufferings of ordinary citizens," he said.
The Speaker made the remarks while addressing a programme titled "Inauguration of the Parliamentary Caucus on Migration, Rights and Development" organised by the WARBE Development Foundation at a hotel in the capital, said a press release of parliament secretariat.
He said greater awareness was needed to reduce the sufferings of Bangladeshi migrant workers, particularly women, who often face inhuman conditions in destination countries.
He stressed the need to enforce existing laws, implement migration policies effectively and hold discussions with destination countries to protect the interests of migrant workers.
Referring to past irregularities, Hafiz Uddin said workers had to spend excessive amounts of money to go abroad during the previous authoritarian government.
Mismanagement in the recruitment process and the dominance of middlemen had also hindered the deployment of a significant number of overseas workers in recent years, he said.
The Speaker expressed hope that the multiparty parliamentary caucus would enable lawmakers to facilitate overseas employment and directly monitor the proper implementation of migration laws at the grassroots level.
Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal, MP, said remittances sent by expatriate workers served as a driving force for the country's economy.
Migrant workers had long faced prolonged exploitation and abuse in destination countries, he said, stressing the need for diplomatic missions to take effective measures to protect their rights.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam and State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Nurul Haque also attended the programme as distinguished guests.
ABM Mosharraf Hossain, MP, president of the parliamentary caucus, and Syed Saiful Haque, chairman of the caucus secretariat, delivered welcome addresses. Mahmudah Habiba, MP, general secretary of the parliamentary caucus, delivered the inaugural address.
During a panel discussion, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Md Toufiqur Rahman, Witness Foundation President Shipa Hafiza, ILO National Programme Manager Rahnuma Salam Khan, International Organization for Migration representative Shahrin Munir and Winrock International Country Representative Dipta Rakshit spoke on various aspects of migration.
The panellists emphasised safe migration and the psychosocial and socioeconomic protection of migrant workers.
They also called for coordinated initiatives by the ministries of foreign affairs and home affairs to enforce government migration policies and prevent human trafficking.
Members of the caucus executive committee, cabinet members, lawmakers, migration analysts, discussants, invited guests and journalists attended the programme.
