Increasing the number and remittance of our migrant workers
On the whole,
there is still a lot to be accomplished on our part
to pave the way well for
a greater number of workers to go abroad and progressively send higher amounts of remittance
to the country
From the 1980s, Bangladesh has been an increasingly important source country in international flows of contract labour migration. The primary destinations of Bangladeshi migrant workers have been the Arab Gulf states. Later they spread to other countries. Remittance sent by Bangladeshi workers is one of the pillars of the countrys economy at present. Every year the number of migrant workers and the amount of remittance sent by them are increasing. It is contributing immensely to the national economy.
But a number of factors are frustrating the optimum receipt of benefits from our migrant workers. There are some bureaucratic complicacies that the migrant workers face. The hassles of passport making come first. Hassle-free police verification should be ensured in this process. The process of issuance and renewal of passports should be made even easier and faster. If these hurdles can be overcome smoothly, the workers will feel much relieved and confident. There are also other factors like the menace posed by unscrupulous manpower agencies.
It is often observed that terms and conditions of service, salaries and other benefits under which Bangladeshis go abroad, are not observed. The migrant workers are subjected to exploitation, lack of social security, harassment, sexual abuse and even human trafficking in some cases. Allegedly, the agencies or organizations of host countries do not always keep fully the commitments they make to workers.
It is the duty of the government and the ministry --who should be concerned-- to safeguard the interests of our overseas workers. The government should regulate further the self-seeking manpower agents or agencies. It is the duty of the host countries to protect our workers from any kind of abuse, discrimination, breach of contract, etc. Our missions in various countries should stand up for our workers and help the latter to get their dues and redress of their grievances.
In this way they can preserve the rights of the migrant workers. If these things are done the lot of our workers abroad will improve and they would be in a position to send more remittances. Our foreign missions must keep their round-the-clock vigilance so that no worker is cheated or deprived abroad. On the whole, there is still a lot to be accomplished on our part to pave the way well for a greater number of workers to go abroad and progressively send higher amounts of remittance to the country.
