International Migrants Day today

Staff Reporter :
The International Migrants Day-2022 will be observed in the country on Sunday in a befitting manner like elsewhere across the globe.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued a message greeting Bangladeshi migrants in different parts of the world on the eve of the day. To mark the day, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment has chalked out various programmes to observe the day across the country.
The main programme of the day will be held at 10.30am at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city with the theme ‘Thakbo Bhalo, Rakhbo Bhalo Desh; Baidho Pathe Prabashi Aay- Garbo Bangladesh’ while the day’s events will include giving Commercially Important Person (CIP) award and distributing stipends among meritorious children of immigrant workers.
 The day will also be observed at district and upazila levels through various programmes.
Remittances sent by migrant workers have strengthened Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves and kept the wheels of the economy running even during the global crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, the premier said, adding that in the fiscal year 2021-22, about 966,339 workers got overseas jobs and Bangladesh received around US$21.03 billion remittance through legal channels.
Addressing a press conference on the occasion, Secretary of the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Dr Ahmed Munirus Saleheen on Saturday said about seven to eight lakh Bangladeshi workers go abroad every year with overseas jobs under the ministry.
According to the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), about 617,209 workers went to different countries with overseas jobs in 2021, he said. The Secretary said also that at the same time, US$2207,087 million remittance sent by expatriates has played an important role in the national economy.
The Secretary said recently Malaysia labor market has been opened while within a short time, 115,541 employment permits have been completed.
Bangladesh has also signed a letter of interest with Greece for sending workforce there, he said.
Dr. Saleheen said also that a process is underway to sign agreement with Albania, Malta and Bosnia for sending workers to those countries. Besides, as new labor markets, sending workers to Cambodia, Uzbekistan, Poland, Hungary, Romania and some countries of the Africa continent as well as Japan, China, Croatia, Senegal, Burundi, Seychelles, the Secretary said.
Marking the day, national dailies will publish supplementary highlighting significance of the day while electronic media will air different programmes on the day.