PM Intervention Sought To Stop Visa Trading
Bangladesh Ovibashi Adhikar Forum on Thursday organized national conference-2018 at National Press Club with aiming to protect the rights and dignity of Bangladeshi Migrant workers.
Representatives from Parliamentarians Caucus and migrant rights activists who spoke at the conference sought the intervention of the Prime Minister to stop visa trading for reducing migration cost for the outgoing migrant workers.
They stressed the need for creating massive awareness at the grassroots level to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration from Bangladesh.
Speaking as chief guest member of Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development Jebunnesa Afroz MP said that the country’s economy has been vibrant die to inflow of remittance sent by the migrant workers from abroad.
She said that Prime Minister Office, ministries of expatriates welfare and overseas employment, foreign affairs and youth would have to work together to ensure safe and skilled migration.
The lawmaker urged the government and non-government organizations to unitedly work to create awareness at the grassroots level about safe migration.
BOAF chief adviser Syed Saiful Haque said that inflow of remittances has reduced in last year especially from Saudi Arabia due to visa trading that caused high cost of migration.
The intervention of the prime minister was urgently needed to stop the visa trading, he said.
Saiful said that poor migrant workers have been sending their hard earned remittance back home although the government has no provided incentives for them.
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies joint secretary general Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman said that due to lack of physical fitness, adequate training and proper communication skills, Bangladeshi workers were being paid lower wages abroad.
International Labour Organization’s national programme officer Rahnuma Salam Khan said that massive campaigns should be launched at the remote and grassroots areas from villages to towns to ensure safe migration.
She said that each of the migrant workers must have skill on specific trade, knowledge on spoken languages and rules of the recipient countries before going to work abroad.
In his welcome addresses, BOAF secretary general Faruque Ahmed said that 22 Bangladeshi female migrant workers have recently committed suicide in the Middle East countries and many female workers were still facing abuses and other problems abroad.
He said that the female domestic workers should not be sent abroad without taking protective measures for them.
BOAF Chairman Nazmul Ahsan said that his organization had networking in 64 districts.
