Upskill migrant workers: speakers

Given the vital role of remittances from expatriate Bangladeshis in the country's economy, it is imperative for the government to prioritise the well-being of remitters, speakers told a discussion yesterday.

Upskilling workers will help them earn higher wages and send home more remittance. Reducing migration cost and addressing the migrant workers' plight are also necessary, they said.

BRAC organised the discussion as part of the 8th BRAC Migration Media Award at its auditorium in the capital's Mohakhali.

This year, 15 journalists and a media house were awarded in six categories -- newspaper (national), newspaper (regional), television, media house, radio and online news outlet.

BRAC introduced the award in 2015.

BRAC Executive Director Asif Saleh said the migration sector's importance is more apparent now as remittance has been playing a crucial role in overcoming the crisis regarding the country's depleting forex reserve.

Asif also said the media needs to highlight the challenges faced by the migrant workers, including health hazards of working in extreme weather conditions in the Middle East.

BRAC has been working to ensure safe and regular migration and combat human trafficking, while developing a model on low-cost migration of skilled workers, he added.

Addressing the event as chief guest, The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam said workers go abroad paying their own migration cost, work arduously there facing health challenges and send valuable remittance to boost Bangladesh's economy.

Despite that, the migration sector is the least benefited compared to other forex-earning sectors in getting government incentives, he said.

Anam also said Bangladesh now enjoys a positive image across the globe due to the hard work of poor migrant workers.

He stressed for upskilling workers, adding that the government has built many training centres for the workers but it needs to be checked whether those are delivering.

He also suggested journalists write more about migrant workers' plight.

Shariful Islam, associate director of Brac Migration Programme, said according to government data, approximately 151 migrant workers depart from Bangladesh every hour, with migration costs being among the highest globally.

Yet the wages earned by Bangladeshi migrant workers are among the lowest, he added.

Ayesha Haq, joint secretary of expatriates' welfare ministry, said at present, about 1.3 crore Bangladeshis live in over 170 countries.

BRAC Education, Skills Development and Migration director Safi Rahman Khan, migration expert Asif Munier, and expatriates' welfare ministry's deputy secretary Mirza Shakila Dil Hasin, among others, spoke at the discussion.

The award-winning journalists are, in newspaper (national) category, Rajib Ahmed of Dainik Samakal (first), Md Masum Billah of The Business Standard (second), and Jesmin Akter for Dainik Bangla, now working at an international media (third).

In newspaper (regional), the winners are Shariful Islam of Ekushey Patrika of Chattogram, Iftekharul Islam of Dainik Chattogram Khobor, and Shakila Akter of Dainik Jainta Barta of Sylhet.

In the television category, the winners are Salahuddin Ahmed of Jamuna Television, journalists Md Enamul Haque and Md Nazmul Sayeed along with videographer Kazi Md Ismail of Independent Television, and Md Khandaker Badrul Alam of News24 TV.

Bangla TV won the award in the media house category while Niloy Rahman Badshah of IRIB Radio Tehran's Dhaka office won the award in radio category. In the online category, the winners are Jahangir Alam of jagonews24.com, Adnan Rahman of dhakapost.com, and Mostafa Imrul Kayes of dhakamail.com.