Law Secretary Kazi Habibul Awal yesterday said laws and regulations of the country relating to overseas employment require thorough review and modification to check fraudulent practices and exploitation of migrant workers.
Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Abdul Matin Chowdhury, meanwhile, said non-ratification of international treaties on migrant workers by the labour receiving countries contribute to the abuses of migrant workers.
These observations were made at a consultation styled 'Review of Legal Framework relating to Migration in Bangladesh' organised by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the expatriates' welfare ministry at Brac Centre Inn. The consultation was sponsored by USAID Bangladesh.
“The government of Bangladesh believes in consultations before revising any legislation,” Kazi Habibul Awal said, adding that the government will be happy to consider review of the laws linked to labour migration if recommendations are put forward in the form of draft law.
“The review of the laws is demand of time,” he added.
Apart from loopholes in the regulations, Abdul Matin Chowdhury said, there is a lacking of strong enforcement of laws on labour migration.
“One ministry in isolation cannot fully address the complex issue of migration management,” he said, emphasising on collaboration with other related ministries and national and international organisations working in the sector.
More partnerships between the labour receiving and sending countries and among sending countries will contribute to the establishment of migrants rights, Abdul Matin Chowdhury said.
Dhaka University Prof Mizanur Rahman, who in collaboration with IOM is conducting the legal review on emigration, said the rules of the land linked to emigration do not address the rights of the migrant workers.
“The laws must be rights-based,” he said at the concluding session of the consultation and suggested vigorous monitoring of the recruiting agencies, ensuring accountability of the government agencies and Bangladeshi labour attachés abroad.
The legal expert recommended framing pro-women rules and creating space for female workers to go abroad. Local government bodies of the country will play a vital role to ensure that workers willing to go abroad are not cheated.
IOM Regional Representative for South Asia Rabab Fatima said the growing number of abuses in labour migration process justify that the existing laws and regulations are not entirely conducive to a viable migration management system in Bangladesh.
She emphasised on critical review of the emigration-related laws and ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Migrant Workers and Members of their Families by the Bangladesh government.
Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training Director General Abdul Malek and IOM officials also spoke at the consultation.