Bangladesh: Social protection of migrant workers, dependents demanded

Submitted by dfabbri on Mon, 10/01/2018 - 10:47
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newagebd (01.10.2018) Migrant rights activists on Sunday demanded ensuring social protection of migrant workers and their dependents. Speaking at a workshop they said that it was the duty of the state to provide the social protection to the migrant workers’ as their immense contributions cannot be estimated in money terms.
The ‘Validation Workshop on Social Cost of Migration’ was organized by WARBE Development Foundation in the conference room of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training.
Speaking as the chief guest, Jebunnesa Afroze, MP, member of the Parliamentarians’ Caucus on Migration and Development said the migrant workers deserve social protection for their immense contributions.

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Migrant rights activists on Sunday demanded ensuring social protection of migrant workers and their dependents.
Speaking at a workshop they said that it was the duty of the state to provide the social protection to the migrant workers’ as their immense contributions cannot be estimated in money terms.
The ‘Validation Workshop on Social Cost of Migration’ was organized by WARBE Development Foundation in the conference room of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training.
Speaking as the chief guest, Jebunnesa Afroze, MP, member of the Parliamentarians’ Caucus on Migration and Development said the migrant workers deserve social protection for their immense contributions.
Speaking as special guest BMET additional director general Sheikh Rafiqul Islam said that the government was taking the measures needed to protect the vulnerable family members as well as the property of migrant workers in the absence of the main male member.
Quoting a World Bank Study, BMET director Nurul Islam, while moderating the discussions, said that the remittance flows had reduced poverty in Bangladesh by 22 per cent.
WARBE DF consultant and adjunct faculty at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh Md Riaz Uddin Khan in his power point presentation said that migration creates separation, family conflicts, extra marital issues, social exclusion as well conflicts over lands and assets.
He made the presentation on the basis of what he found during a study focused on micro and macro level social costs of migration and their impacts on returnees and their family members
Riaz said that during survey of 253 households in Savar, Keraniganj, Comilla, Noagoan and Rajshahi he found conflicts in migrants’ families over purchase of lands or assets and control over remittance, negative attitudes towards female migrants and remittance breaking up families.
WARBE DF chairman Syed Saiful Haque said that rural development was taking place due to inflow of remittance.
Government and NGO officials as well as rights activists and a Swiss embassy representative spoke.

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