The government should take adequate measures to ensure safe overseas recruitment and migration keeping national interest in focus, observed Bangladeshi people living and working abroad.

The Bangladeshi diaspora also called for making the country’s foreign missions ‘migrant friendly’ facilitating consular services to the Bangladeshi migrant workers in distress at the overseas destinations.

They made their observations while talking to this correspondent on the sidelines of the Global Forum for Migration and Development summit, recently held in Marrakesh of Morocco.

Netherlands-based Bangladeshi expatriates’ organisation BASUG took part in the 11th GFMD in Marrakesh and set up a Stand at the exhibition space during the civil society days.

BASUG chairman Bikash Chowdhury Barua, who is also a member of Migration Laboratory that was set up by the German federal government and GIZ, took part in the side events of the summit in Marrakesh.

He observed that Bangladesh was an important country of origin of the migrant workers who were migrating to different countries of the world.

‘It is essential to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration for sustainable development,’ he said.

Bikash Chowdhury said that there were many complaints of Bangladeshi migrant workers against the high commission of Bangladesh in Kuala Lumpur and those problems should be addressed immediately.

BASUG, also a member of the International Steering Committee of GFMD had been taking part in all the GFMDs since 2007.

BASUG emerged out of desire and conviction of a number of professional migrants in the Netherlands coming mainly from Bangladesh, and other countries to work on issues relevant to the community.

It had been working since early nineties, but it was formalised in 2005, said Bikash Chowdhury.

Jordan-based another Bangladeshi expatriate Nadia Gazi, who has been working as consultant of the International Labour Organisation, viewed that the workers from Bangladesh should be sent abroad after giving quality trainings.

Nadia who had experiences of working with Bangladeshi workers employed in Jordan stressed dissemination of information of safe migration among the aspirant migrant workers.

Nadia Gazi accompanying with her husband and a child had attended the GFMD summit, civil society days and many side events in the People Global Actions in Marrakesh.

A high level team led by Bangladesh foreign secretary Md Shahidul Haque took part in the inter-governmental meeting that adopted Global Compact for Migration.

Expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry secretary-in-charge Rownaq Jahan took part in the GFMD and civil society days in Marrakesh and committed that she would take necessary steps to ensure fair recruitment and safe migration from Bangladesh step by steps.

Source: Migrationnewsbd.com