Speakers at a policy dialogue underscored the need for ratification of the 1990 UN Convention on Migrants’ Rights. They also emphasised the need to declare the labour migration sector as a thrust sector. The speakers noted although migrant workers are contributing immensely to the national economy, they still go through a great deal of hardship at every stage of their migration process.

The policy dialogue was jointly organised by the Daily Star and the Refugee and Migratory Movement Research Unit of Dhaka University with the support of the Manusher Jonno Foundation at BRAC Inn on 10 June 2007.

The Chief Guest, Dr. Iftekhar Chowdhury, Advisor for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, reiterated the government’s commitment to weed out irregularities in the recruitment sector. “The market for migrant workers is highly imperfect, characterized by high transaction costs, pervasive information gaps and misplaced information”, he observed. Lauding the initiative of the policy dialogue the Adviser made a commitment to re-examine the implication of the ratification the 1990 Convention.

Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, the Governor of Bangladesh Bank, underscored the need to bring banking services closer to work places in host countries, lowering costs for remittance services, ensuring competitive exchange rate and providing savings and investment options both in foreign and domestic currencies.

Highlighting the plight of the Bangladeshi migrants deployed overseas Mr. Mahfuz Anam of the Daily Star in his introductory statement stated those should be looked into with our hearts. He urged the government for early ratification of the Convention.

Mr. Touhid Hossain, the Secretary-in-Charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs drew attention that it is not only remittances that are bringing benefit; migration is also reducing pressure on job creation at home. In the context of stiff competition in global market for unskilled labour Mr. Hossain expressed the need for upgrading the skills of our migrant work force such as training in nurses.

In her keynote presentation Dr. Tasneem Siddiqui of Dhaka University argued for ratification of the Convention on the ground that it would not only provide protection to migrants at home but will also give Bangladesh the moral high ground to demand better treatment of its workforce overseas. She said any government committed to the rights of its migrants would appreciate the value of the Convention.

Dr. Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed observed that the 1990 Convention plays a pivotal and crucial role in the development of human rights standards and the rules of state conduct and responsibility. He also expressed the desire that the ratification of the Convention be made for the benefit of many who continue to be exploited at all stages of the migration process.

Ms. Rokia Rahman, former Advisor to the Caretaker Government of 2001, highlighted the need for curbing corruption and expressed her support for ratification.

Ms. Shaheen Anam of Manusher Jonno Foundation deplored the lack of accountability of the recruitment industry and demanded appropriate actions against truant agencies. She also highlighted the role of the media in regard.

Among others, Afsan Chowdhury of BRAC, Saiful Haque of WARBE, Fayezuddin Ahmed of Manusher Jonno and Sheikh Rumana of BOMSA participated in the session on ratification and Md. Nazrul Islam of Agrani Bank, AKM Mosharraf of Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Mr. Abdul Mannan of Islami Bank and Dr. Jamaluddin Ahmed of Bangladesh Bank participated in the session on remittances.

Mr. Khundker Mazharul Huq of Bangladesh Bank, Brig. Shahedul Anam Khan and Dr. C R Abrar also participated in the discussion.