They said in absence of the ratification, Bangladesh as well as receiving countries are not obliged to protect the undocumented migrant workers.

The function was organised to mark the closing ceremony of a training programme.

Welfare Association of the Repatriated Bangladeshi Employees (Warbe) and Refugee and Migratory Movement Research Unit (RMMRU) organised the 5-day training on 'Migrant Workers and the UN Convention' in collaboration with Migrant Forum Asia and Diplomacy Training Programme of the University of New South Wales, Australia at the Biam auditorium in the city.

"Bangladesh signed the convention in 1998, and then the law commission also recommended its ratification, but it has not been implemented until today," said Dr CR Abrar, executive director of RMMRU, University of Dhaka.

The fear that if ratified the receiving countries will hesitate to take the workers from Bangladesh is not true, as another South Asian country Sri Lanka has already ratified the convention and faces no problem in sending workers abroad, he added.

Speaking as chief guest Justice Syed Reefat Ahmed said the government should establish without any undue delay a framework to protect human rights and orderly movement of migrant workers.

Dr Tasneem Siddique of RMMRU said there are 180 million migrant workers earning a huge amount of money, so the government must come forward to ensure the rights of the migrant workers.

Thirty-one countries have so far ratified and 15 others signed the 1990 UN Convention since its inception, said Syed Saiful Haque, chairman of Warbe.

The ratification of the convention will ensure total migration and repatriation process, he added.