Dec 30 should be declared ‘Expatriates’ Day’: Foreign Minister

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen today said he wants December 30 to be declared "Expatriates' Day" and celebrated annually in the country.

"With this, there is possibility to involve expatriates more in the country's development," he said, adding that expatriates usually come home around this time.

He further said his ministry has already approached he prime minister regarding this, and urged the expatriates' welfare ministry to take steps accordingly.

Momen was addressing the national programme marking International Migrants Day -- organised by the expatriates' welfare ministry -- at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.

December 18 is observed as International Migrants Day across the globe following a United Nations General Assembly proclamation in 2000.

At the event, the expatriates' welfare ministry awarded 57 non-resident Bangladeshis with "CIP (NRB)-2019" Awards in three categories -- "industrial investment" (one person), "remitting foreign currency" (47 persons), and "importing goods from Bangladesh" (9 persons) -- for their outstanding contribution during fiscal year 2017-2018.

Besides, some children of migrant workers received educational scholarship during the programme.

Addressing the event as chief guest, the foreign minister said they have launched two apps -- dutabash and myGov -- to enhance quality of services for the expatriates.

The apps enable expatriates to avail required services regarding passport renewal and attestation of different documents using their cell phones, he said.

He added the government wants to strengthen efforts so that expatriate Bangladeshis get their national identity (NID) cards while abroad.

Such project has already been launched in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates but the Covid-19 pandemic slowed it down, he further said.

The foreign minister also said they are trying to reopen the labour market in Libya for Bangladeshi workers considering improvement in the conflict situation there, adding Bangladesh stopped sending workers to Libya in 2015.

Chairing the event, Expatriates' Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad urged expatriates with commercially important person (CIP) status to invest more in the country's economy.

He said he will make proposal to the PM to get a special economic zone for them.

He also said he will be in Malaysia on Sunday to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Southeast Asian country to reopen the labour market for Bangladeshi workers there.

"It's a big market," he said, adding Bangladeshi migrant workers are enthusiastic to work in Malaysia since its social system favours them.

In his speech, Anisul Islam Mahmud, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Expatriates' Welfare Ministry, said migrant workers are the main pillar of the country's economy as development is largely possible due to remittance sent by them.

The government did a lot for them but there is much more to do to ensure their wellbeing, he said.

Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, secretary of expatriates' welfare ministry; Fathima Nusrath Ghazzali, officer in charge, International Organization for Migration Bangladesh; and Tuomo Poutiainen, country director, International Labour Organization, Bangladesh; among others, spoke at the event.