DHAKA, Feb 28, 2018 (BSS) – State Minister for Foreign Affairs M
Shahriar Alam today laid emphasis on ensuring all rights of migrants in line
with international rules and regulations to provide them safety and dignity
to achieve Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) by 2030.
“Migration is a very crucial issue across the world as it has a close
linkage with development….The role of migrants is important to build a
stable, peaceful and economically advanced world,” he told a discussion on
“Reflection on Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Global Compact for Safe,
Orderly and Regular Migration” at the CIRDAP auditorium here.
Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development (PCMD) organized the
discussion.
Roksana Yasmin Suty, MP and Jebunnesa Afroz, MP, Advocate Hosne Ara
Lutfa Dalia, Director General (Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training
(BMET) Md Selim Reza and among others, addressed the discussion with Israfil
Alam, MP, in the chair.
Shariar said Bangladesh has been working for a long time for the safety
of migrants and formulation of an appropriate global migration policy. “We
have seen disastrous situation of migrants in different regions of the world.
Bangladesh wants a peaceful and stable solution of migrant people for
building a better world,” he added.
The State Minister said the government has ensured an easy process of
sending migrant workers to foreign countries for increasing flow of
remittances.
The average migrant sending cost has reduced significantly as a result
of migrant-friendly policies of the government, he said adding, “At present,
Bangladeshi workers are going abroad at a nominal cost, which eventually will
contribute to the economy of the country.”
“Bangladesh economy largely depends on remittances sent by migrant
workers…. So, we are giving special importance to safety and security of
both male and female migrant workers,” Shahriar said.
Stressing the need for developing skilled workers for enhancing foreign
currency earnings, he said the country should explore economically potential
countries to increase the number of migrant workers.
Selim said Bangladesh will play a very active role in the upcoming
Global Compact on Migration (GCM) negotiation to ensure right of global
migrants.
“Bangladesh believes that the GCM will be an important instrument not
only in promoting safe-orderly-regular migration but also realizing its full
contribution to the socioeconomic development including poverty reduction,”
he added.
Other speakers said remittance of both male and female migrants of the
country increased nominally between 2014 and 2017.
Climate change issue should be considered seriously as it has close
linkage with both internal and international migration, they said adding many
people are being migrated internally and internationally due to the adverse
impacts of global climate change.