National Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development held

Launching of Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development in Bangladesh there is a few number of parliamentarian caucus on different issues. The main objective of a parliamentarian caucus is to raise certain issues in the parliament by the parliament members.

For protecting the rights of Migrant Workers and Diaspora groups, the Government of Bangladesh passed a law named Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Migration Act 2013 in line with the international laws, convention and policies. But still the challenges to migrant rights remain vital issue.

Most of the policy makers, Member of Parliaments still need to be updated regarding the migration issues which they can bring to the national parliament to address the social, economic and cultural rights of Migrants and their Family Member.

As a result a parliamentarian caucus had formed to recognize the migrant rights in the parliament. So the launching of Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development took place on 31 March, 2017 at Park Town Restaurant.

In the launching program, Honorable Deputy Speaker of Bangladesh National Parliament, Mr. Fazle Rabbi Miah graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Mr Israfil Alam, MP, Chairman of the Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development acted as moderator of the launching ceremony. Roksana Yesmin Suty, MP, Adv. Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia, MP, Talukdar Md Yunus, MP, Nurjahan Begum, MP, Jabed Ahmed, Additional Secretary of MOEWOE were also presented.

Representatives from different NGO’s, BAIRA, trade union and media attended the program. Mr Israfil Alam, MP at the beginning of the program talked about the importance of the parliamentarian caucus on migration and development. He thanked the organizers for helping the caucus to being formed.

In his speech, Honorable Chief Guest, Deputy Speaker, Mr Fazle Rabbi Miah, shared some of his experiences of being the head of the Bangladesh Delegation team of IPU (Inter Parliamentarian Union) Assembly.

He mentioned that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was personally interested in the migration issue to be the emergency issue in the IPU Assembly by the side of the regular agenda of IPU Assembly.

He also mentioned the contribution of the NGO’s and other stakeholders on the migrant rights issue and to highlight their works at a maximum level they are going to need the parliamentarian caucus on migration and development.

Israfil Alam, MP read out the Proclamation of the Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development. He talked about the main objectives of this parliamentarian caucus and the activities of the caucus.

Then Jabed Ahmed, Additional Secretary of MOEWOE, talked about how thankful he was to be a part of the launching event. He said that Bangladesh has ratified the ILO Convention 1990 in 2011 but in the destination countries where the migrant workers are going have not ratified the convention yet. So there lies a big problem for the migrant workers. He requested the Deputy Speaker and the Chairman of the Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development to work on this matter.

Ms. Nurjahan Begum, MP, a member of the parliamentarian caucus on migration and development, thanked everyone in the audience and mentioned this day as a historical day.

She said that as Bangladesh is developing rapidly and a good amount of remittance is coming from the earnings of migrant workers it is high time we should work all together to protect migrant rights.

She also mentioned this parliamentarian caucus is actually going to work hard and give some positive news about migration and development in future as this caucus is going to be supervised and leaded by two qualified persons.

Adv. Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia, MP, in her speech mentioned that Manpower is an asset in our country because for the contribution from the manpower sector, the GDP of Bangladesh is rising. She also said that we should all work together to make this caucus a great example.

Syed Saiful Haque, Chairman of WARBE Development Foundation, said in the national budget the allotted budget for this sector is very low compared to the other sectors.

He also mentioned the need of ratifying the International Treaties regarding migration law in the destination countries. He hoped to form a South Asian Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration in a very near future.

He wished to work together on this issue of zero migration cost with other NGO’s and multi-stakeholder. She also mentioned the need of standard contract of the migrant workers.

At the end of the program Israfil Alam, MP, thanked everyone for joining and wished to work for the rights of the migrant workers with all the stakeholders.