Migrant worker rights in spotlight

Rights activists yesterday urged the government and international organisations to speed up efforts to uphold the rights of migrant workers, as the country observes International Migrants Day today.
In association with nongovernmental organisations that promote migrants rights, the government for the first time chalked out programmes to mark the day and create awareness among people about the dangers and prospects of international migration.
President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed issued separate messages.
“Bangladeshi migrants are playing an important role in the national and international arena. I call upon the government and our friendly nations to make sure that migrant workers are not deprived of their rights,” Iajuddin said.
Greeting Bangladeshi migrants and recognising their contributions, Fakhruddin said: “The real achievement is through making the best use of the hard-earned money of the migrants.”
“We are observing this day to bring the sector under the limelight. We need to improve the migration process and make it more transparent,” said Mansur Raja Chowdhury, joint secretary to the Ministry of Expatriates and Overseas Employment, at a press conference at the National Press Club.
A discussion will be held at Bangladesh Shishu Academy auditorium at 11:30am where Foreign and Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury will be present as the chief guest.
The world has observed December 18 as International Migrants Day, as the UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families was accepted as the basic document on this day in 1990, to uphold migrants' rights.
Bangladesh singed the convention in 1998 but is yet to ratify it, said WARBE Development Foundation Chairman Syed Saiful Haque. He demanded that the government ratify it.
It is estimated that over 5 million Bangladeshis are working abroad with around 800,000 leaving the country for overseas jobs a year.
When the migrant workers send in around $8 billion a year, fraudulent practices by a section of manpower brokers and recruiting agencies and even exploitation by foreign employers, plague overseas employments.
Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) Coordinator Professor Tasneem Siddiqui said public awareness and policy interventions can help check corrupt practices and uphold rights of the migrants.
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies President Ghulam Mustafa said the states also contributed to the high cost of overseas jobs in recent times.