Multi-Stakeholder Consultation on ILO Convention 189 and Recommendation 201, 2012

08 July, 2016

WARBE Development Foundation and recruiting agency BAIRA jointly arranged a consultation on safe migration with private Sector and Stakeholders. WARBE and BAIRA personnel, and some other distinguished personalities from ministry and secretariat level, NGO and civil society participated and shared their valuable opinion regarding the issue. The key Objectives for organizing this consultation were: To discuss on safe migration process, regular channels and reducing migration cost. To understand the present socio-demographic and economic situation of migrant communities. To discuss about the ‘Overseas Employment & Migration Act, 2013’ – its barriers in implementation process and the possible realistic way-out. To discuss on the role of private sectors for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Mr. Faruque ahmed, Secretary General, WARBE Development Foundation began the meeting with his welcome speech. He expresses his thankfulness to BAIRA for cooperating in holding this meeting. Mrs. Jasiya Khatoon, Director, WARBE Development Foundation presented a key note presentation on WARBE DF and an overview of global migration scenario in 2015. Nurul Amin, member of BAIRA– spoke on irregular migration, mass grave which were found in Malaysia. He also talks on G2G, zero cost on migration. Sarowat Binte Islam, Program Manager, MJF- talked on Technical Training Center (TTC), cost of TTC training in private/Govt. sector. Sultana Adnan, Director of Migration Project, Agrani Bank – She discuss about remittance and for sending remittance the migrant workers are to pay high rate of interest which should be reduced for smoothening the process. He also says a2i could be involved at union level training. Md. Rabiul Islam, Online Media- wants to know about the cost for receiving clearance from BMET. Mr. Jabed Ahmed, Additional Secretary, MoEWOE- discussed on issues. He says- middle men are needed but also they must be under control, there are 47 TTCs but they are not up to the mark. Nurjahan Begum Mukta, Member of National Parliament was the Chief Guest in this consultation. She refers to many points. She says that victims should be more aware and human trafficking law should be strictly enforced. She added further in every district government is trying to provide land for migrants and trying to increase quota for migrants and in P.S.C and J.S.C there is provision for scholarship for migrants’ children. After her speech Annual Migration Report-2015, prepared by WARBE DF was launched.

08 July, 2016

WARBE Development Foundation and Bangladesh Ovibashi Adhikar Forum (BOAF) with the support by AWO international arranged Consultation on Protection of Migrants Rights in on Human Rights Day. Objective of the program was: (a) Migrant Workers are in distress (b) Domestic Workers Convention 189 (c) Use of wage earners’ welfare fund (d) Voting rights of Migrant Workers In the beginning of the consultation Mr. Sharif Hossen Chowdhury, Coordinator of WARBE Development Foundation gave welcome speech. After his speech Md. Faruque Ahmed Secretary General of WARBE Development Foundation gave keynote presentation. In his presentation he talked about many migrants’ related problems, how migrant workers are facing problems and being violated. Even he shared his own experience as he is a returnee migrant. Then our two migrant victims Rowshan Ara Begum and Champa Begum shared their experience how they are become victim when they worked in Lebanon and Jordan. In the Panel Discussion Mr. Atikun Nabi(Executive Director, INAFI), Mr. Nazmul Ahsan (President, BOAF), Mr. Abul Bashar (Project Coordinator, RMMRU), Md. Shakirul Islam (Chairman, OKUP), Mr. Abul Hossain(President, Trade Union),Mr. Nur Khan Liton(Director, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) everyone talked on this issue. They all were talked about rights of migrants’ workers, about convention, use of welfare fund and many related issues.

25 November, 2012

To observe the “International Day for the Elimination of the Violence against Women” WARBE Development Foundation organized a media campaign on “Problems of Domestic Workers and protect the Rights and Dignity – to ratify and implementation of ILO Convention 189” held on 25 November 2012 at Conference Room of National press club. Ms. Sumaiya Islam, Project Director of BOMSA was special discussant of this program. Syed Saiful Haque, Chairman of WARBE D F was moderator of the seminar where Mr. Abdul Awal, Project Coordinator of WARBE DF presented a key note paper.

09 October, 2012

The UN General Assembly hosted the first High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development on 14 to 15 September 2006 in New York, USA. The objective of the forum was to maximize development benefits of migration. And it was decided that a second Dialogue should be held in September 2013. The second Dialogue will focus on the progress that has been made since the inaugural event while also highlighting new and continuing challenges governments are facing. Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) partners in Bangladesh (WARBE DF, RMMRU, ASK & ACD) has organized a roundtable consultation on “The 2nd UN High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development, 2013” at the CIRDAP Auditorium, Dhaka from 08 to 09 October 2012. The objective of this consultation is to bring together key migration and development organizations, networks, grassroots and community based organizations, migrants’ rights advocates, trade unions, representatives of the media and academia along with relevant government ministries to coordinate and jointly strategize efforts relating to the 2nd UN High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development in 2013. Discussion has been participating by the representative from GOs, different NGOs, Private Sector, Trade Union, and Migrants Associations, also individual migrants and representative of International Organizations & UN agencies.

16 February, 2012

Overseas job seekers from Bangladesh are exploited at home and abroad in many ways due to non- implementation of UN Convention on migrant workers, said speakers during the seminar on “Comprehensive law & Policy to protect Migrants’ Rights in Light of UN Convention 1990”. The Seminar was held in the CIRDAP Auditorium, Dhaka, on 16th February 2012 from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. The event was organized by WARBE Development Foundation (WARBE DF) supported by Manusher Jonno Foundation. Mr. Hazrat Ali, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MEWOE) enriched the session as Chief Guest. Ms. Rina Roy, Director, Manusher Jonno Foundation shared her view as Special Guest Speaker. Dr. Uttam Kumar Das, Deputy Director, South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (SAILS) attended the Seminar as Keynote Speaker. Syed Saiful Haque, Chairman of WARBE Development Foundation (WARBE DF) as chair moderated the Seminar and Ms. Jasiya Khatoon, Project Coodinator, WARBE DF addressed her welcome remarks.

24 November, 2011

A National Consultation on the Global Forum on Migration and Development was held on 24 November 2011 at the CIRDAP Auditorium jointly organized by the Bangladesh chapter of Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) whose members include WARBE Development Foundation, Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), Ain o Salish Kendro, and Association for Community Development. The aim of the National Consultation was to gather a broad range of stakeholders – from Government, national civil society organizations, and private sector entities to exchange ideas across different fields on the current state of migration-related initiatives, as well as gaps and challenges regarding migrant workers’ access to efficient grievance and redress mechanisms. It further aimed at exploring the roles and contributions of stakeholders, as well as particularities of redress mechanisms and their accessibility to different groups of migrant workers. The topic of this consultation tied indirectly with the themes of the GFMD entitled “Taking Action on Migration and Development: Coherence, Capacity and Cooperation” The National Consultation on “Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) 2011, Geneva – Bangladesh Consultation” was divided into two major sessions namely GFMD 2011: Briefing on Civil Society Days, “Taking Action on Labour Migration, Development and the Protection of Migrant Workers and their Families” and GFMD 2011: Briefing on Government Days “Taking Action on Migration and Development: Coherence, Capacity and Cooperation”. The working sessions were also divided by themes on – Labour migration and development Addressing irregular migration Tools for evidence-based migration and development policies.