Brac will assist 7,250 migrant returnees who were financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic under a new financial support programme worth Tk 3 crore.

Around 1,545 migrant workers have already received the financial support through mobile banking service -- bKash, said the organisers. Others will receive it soon as well.

The programme was formally launched during a virtual conference today.

Shariful Hasan, head of Brac Migration Programme, said they scrutinised a list of over 16,000 migrant returnees to select the 7,250 beneficiaries.

They took help from Brac and government officials in different districts to make the list.

The Tk 3 crore programme is being implemented with help from the Royal Danish Embassy, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Prottasha project, Children for Investment Fund Foundation and Brac UK, said organisers.

The beneficiaries are mostly returnees from Middle East, Southeast Asia, North Africa and some European countries.

They returned empty-handed either after losing jobs or facing financial hardship due to the economic fallout caused by coronavirus pandemic.

Expatriates' Welfare Ministry Secretary Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, who was chief guest at the launching, said the initiative is a timely step.

Employment opportunities for Bangladeshi migrant workers have declined significantly over the last five months, he said. The government has undertaken loan initiatives worth Tk 700 crore to economically support the migrant returnees.

KAM Morshed, senior director of Brac, said their aim is to support the migrant workers both in the short- and long-term.