Md. Muzibur Rahman :
Our migrant workers/remittance fighters go to foreign countries for service/employment & they work & send money for their native land. The receiving country gets money as remittance. A “migrant worker” is defined in the International Labor Organization (ILO) instruments as a person who migrates from one country to another (or who has migrated from one country to another) with a view to being employed other than on his own account, and includes any person regularly admitted as a migrant.
Bangladesh, like other South-Asian countries, is in a situation of surplus manpower with a combination of professional, skilled, semi-skilled and less-skilled labor force. Local wage employment cannot absorb the huge low skilled and less educated workforce. This large volume of workforce needs to be engaged in employment to ensure their participation in the economic development of the countries as well to improve their family standard.
Migration plays a vital role in the national economy mainly in two major ways; firstly it reduces unemployment and secondly migration results in remittance flows for the country. The migration has shown steady growth over the year that is favorable to the development of Bangladesh; as inflow of remittance has increased every year. The links between migration and remittances are self-evident. Both have a strong correlation to poverty reduction in home countries. Remittance has become an important aspect for developing countries like Bangladesh for socio-economic advancement. Remittance has a significant role to maintain balance of payment and to enrich foreign currency reserves. It also has a great contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
Gradually migration is being considered as the development alternative to the family level of workers particularly the illiterate and un-skilled workforce. Generally remittance is used in the following expenditures: (a) Repaying loans for migration; (b) Buying land and constructing house; (c) Investing in business; (d) Increase in income and savings; (e) Community development; (f) Improve living standard; (g) Social ceremonies. These expenditures generate demands of input materials of development infrastructures & directly or indirectly help of social & economic development. Remittance has a considerable contribution to ease foreign exchange constraint,stabilizing the exchange rate and allowing Bangladesh to import much needed rawmaterials, intermediate goods and capital equipment.
Comfortable reserves of foreign exchange have also contributed to overall macro stability and have reduced aid dependency. Remittance increases with the expanding migration process and accelerating movement of people for the overseas employment market. It has an impact on the balance of payment, investment, and national savings. They are dedicated contributors in our society. The Government of Bangladesh is always trying to maximize the benefits from remittance to ensure a more positive impact on the economic development. With this view the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and its department the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) are adopting various measures to regulate the migration. Such as:1) Digitization in Migration management, 2) Establishment of Expatriates Welfare Bank, 3) Promotion of Skill Development Training, 4) Initiatives and Incentives for Smooth Transfer of Remittances, 5) Initiative to explore new markets, 6) Efforts to reduce migration cost, 7) Updating of Emigration Ordinance & 8) Arrangements for e-passport etc.
Recently (11-11-2024) our Chief Adviser of the Interim Government has inaugurated a lounge named ‘The Probashi Lounge Dedicated for the country’s migrant workers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to make sure that they get the honor and facilities like guests for the significant contribution to the country’s progress. It is the first of its kind at the airport & this lounge will make migrant worker’s travel easy. It will offer the workers a place to rest and subsidized food for refreshments.
The Chief Adviser assured many more steps for the workers while inaugurating and addressing the lounge platform where some migrant workers & dignitaries were present. He said that the nation should give the migrant workers the due respect they deserve, they are remittance fighters dedicating their life & time in foreign land & send remittance for family & for the nation. They will be given such facilities in the airport so that they can think they are at home, and everyone is taking care of them & serving them well. Their homecoming & departure from the country will be hassle free in the airport lounge & they will be able to feel sound physically & mentally.
The Chief Adviser also inaugurated a waiting lounge second time dedicated to serving expatriates, Bangladesh & their families. The lounge will provide several facilities including designated waiting areas, a baby care room, separate prayer rooms for men & women & a reasonably priced cafeteria. He also inaugurated the comfortable waiting lounge for expatriate workers & their families at the multilevel car parking area of the airport. It is a proper & right step at the right time. Respecting our migrant workers is the respect of our working people of the country who work both home & abroad.
(The author writes on different issues in the media. He can be reached at Email: [email protected])
