Int’l bodies must push more for labour rights: Minister

The international organisations on migration and labour issues should work more for the protection of migrant workers abroad, said Nurul Islam, minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment today.

Mainly the poor people migrate abroad seeking fortune, he said adding that “it is very important to ensure so that these poor migrants’ rights are not violated in any way”.

The minister made these remarks when Patrick Earle, executive director for Diplomacy Training Programme (DTP) under the Law faculty of New South Wales University in Australia made a courtesy call at his office in the capital’s Probashi Kalyan Bhaban.

The Australian scholar is now visiting Dhaka to provide diplomacy training on the migration issue. 

The DTP, which was established in 1989, provides training among the government officials and civil society members for the protection of the human rights of the migrant workers in Middle Eastern countries, he informed the minister.

“In Bangladesh, we are now providing training on migrants’ rights.  DTP tries to sensitise the responsible persons how to protect rights of the migrants by applying the United Nations Universal Declaration on human rights, the UN and labour laws,” Patric mentioned.

Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) Executive Director Prof CR Abrar said the rights of the migrant workers must be ensured at home and abroad.

Senior officials of the ministry among others were present.