Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad organised a discussion on Dhaka’s contribution to migration and international development at its chancery in Islamabad yesterday, reports BSS. High Commissioner to Pakistan Tarik Ahsan presented a paper at the discussion titled “Migration and Development: Contribution of Bangladesh to International Discourse”, according to a message received here.
In his paper, the high commissioner mentioned that Bangladesh has become a major emigrating nation with 5.5 per cent of its 160 million people living overseas. Remittance from the migrants has been infusing strength to economy and helping poverty alleviation.
“Bangladesh is also hosting a significant number of skilled workers supporting the readymade garments and knitwear industry for international consumers,” Ambassador Tarik said.
The high commissioner said recognising the value of migration in promoting development, Bangladesh has been attaching increasing importance to the issue of migration as an important foreign policy objective.
In pursuit of this objective, he said, Dhaka has been making efforts not just for expanding the job opportunities for its prospective emigrants or promoting remittance but also for helping the international community. The goal is to establish migration as one of the key vehicles for sustainable development of the world in years to come.
Bangladesh has been vocal in favour of protection of the rights of migrants however, he said adding Bangladesh worked for mobilizing international opinion in favour of inclusion of the issue of migration in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Tarik said Bangladesh believed that benefits of migration could be fully reaped in the long run only through its thoughtful management. Dhaka has already proposed the idea of elaborating a Global Compact on Migration that would promote orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration, he added.
The World leaders, on 19 September 2016 in New York, decided on elaboration of the Global Compact by the year 2018.
The envoy apprised the audience on Bangladesh’s chairmanship of the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) last year that culminated 9th Summit of GFMD in Dhaka on 10-12 December 2016.
He underlined the contribution of Bangladesh chairmanship of GFMD and said his country would continue to support the cause of migration pro-actively.
Discussants from the IOM said the objectives of immigration and development should be better understood by all stakeholders domestically and internationally. They said migration would face more challenges provided the links between international migration and development were not clarified to all.
in order to harness the development potential of migration for the benefit of both society and to contribute to sustainable development and poverty reduction.
Later, a question and answer session was held where the High Commissioner and the discussants from the IOM tried to satisfy the audiences.
A special prayer was offered for the eternal peace of Bangladesh Ambassador to Brazil Mijarul Quayes died last night at a hospital in Brasilia.