1.5 crore Bangladeshis working in 176 countries: Ariful Haque

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury on Sunday told Parliament that more than 1.5 crore expatriate Bangladeshis are now working  in 176 foreign countries across the world.

“Currently, more than 15 million Bangladeshis are working in 176 countries around the world,” he said while responding to a tabled question from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Md Amir Hamza (Kushtia-3).

The minister said the current government is committed to ensuring the dignity, rights and welfare of all these expatriate Bangladeshis.

During the previous fascist government, the welfare of the expatriates was grossly neglected, he said.
“After the current government took office, various steps have been taken and implemented for their welfare,” he added.

Focusing on the steps taken by the present government, he said the Wage Earners Welfare Board allocates funds annually through 30 labour welfare wings of Bangladeshi missions stationed in 27 countries to provide administrative, legal and welfare services.

Legal services are being provided through legal assistants to expatriate workers and to recover death compensation for Bangladeshis who die abroad. To ensure these services, 11 mission labor welfare law firms/panel lawyers have already been initially appointed, he said.