Bangladesh and countries across the world are observing the International Migrants Day-2020 in a befitting manner.
Bangladesh has set the theme – ‘Mujib Borsho er Ahoban, Dokkho Hoye Bidesh Jan’ (it roughly translates into ‘call of Mujib Year, go abroad after becoming skilled).
President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday issued separate messages greeting Bangladeshi migrants in different parts of the world on the occasion.
Besides, Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry has chalked out various programmes like other countries marking the day.
The amount of remittances sent by expatriate Bangladeshis has increased by 10.9 percent to US$18.21 billion compared to the previous year.
The government has taken an initiative to send an average of 1,000 workers a year from each upazila abroad.
On December 4, 2000, the General Assembly, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, proclaimed December 18 as the International Migrants Day.
UNESCO is acting to advance the migration-related commitments of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the coronavirus pandemic disproportionately affects migrants who often find themselves on the margins of society.
Despite caring for the sick and providing essential services, they are too often the first to lose their jobs and the last to be rehired, excluded from essential social services, unfairly ostracized as carriers of the disease and, in extreme cases, left prey to those who would take advantage of their vulnerability, it said.
The IOM will host a 'Concert for Migrants' virtually to celebrate International Migrants Day on Friday.
With over eight million Bangladeshi migrants working abroad, this virtual concert organised by IOM will enable them to connect and watch the concert from any part of the world.
The ‘Concert for Migrants’ is initiated under the European Union funded project, Bangladesh: Sustainable Reintegration and Improved Migration Governance (Prottasha) that supports the Government to achieve SDG Goal 10.7 to facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed policies.-UNB