'Ratify Int'l convention on migrant workers'

The Welfare Association of Repatriated Bangladeshi Employees took out a procession in the city yesterday demanding ratification of the 'International convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families'. PHOTO: STAR

In a statement, WARBE Chairman Syed Saiful Haq Asif also urged the government to form a national committee on labour migration mitigating the problems being faced by the migrant workers.

He called for setting up of a migrant bank and formation of a migrant welfare centre providing the wage earners with travel-tax waiver and green channel facilities at the airports.

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Quoting a statistics, Asif said over the last three decades 3.7 million Bangladeshis went abroad as migrant workers and remitted Tk 83,000 crore to home.

Earlier, the WARBE brought out a colorful procession in the city as part of its programme to observe the International Migrants Day marking the adoption of the charter on December 18.

Starting from the National Museum, the procession ended at the National Press Club.

It was organised in association with Bangladesh Women Migrant Association (BWMA), International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and US Solidarity Centre.

Migrant workers and their families, representatives from different trade union bodies, NGOs, Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies and other donor agencies took part in the procession.

After the procession, a human chain was formed at Topkhana Road.

IOM Programme Officer Nurul Islam Molla, BWMA Chairperson Lily Jahan, ActionAid's Zahid Hasan and Executive Director of SHISHUK SM Morshed spoke on the occasion.

Representatives from Population Council and Naree Jibon Project were also present.