Multi-Stakeholder Consultation
Bangladesh migrants face a precarious situation: Migration experts
Rights activists have expressed grave concerns over the violation of rights of migrants workers who are sending huge amount of remittance to the country annually.
They made the remarks at a National Consultation for Shadow Report on GCM Implementation. WARBE Development Foundation oranised it at the BIISS Auditorium in the capital on Thursday.
RMMRU executive director Tasneem Siddiqui moderated the event. Migration expert and national consultant Asif Munier presented a report.
WARBE Development Foundation Chairman Syed Saiful Haque said they would submit a shadow report to the UN Migration Network through the IOM. The report will be presented at the International Migration Review Forum 2026 alongside the government’s submission.
Bangladesh Labour Federation (BLF) General Secretary Shakil Akhter Chowdhury said that although there have been many discussions on labour migration, no visible progress has been made in the sector.
“We are earning 30 billion US dollars from this sector. What is the government’s contribution to the welfare of migrant workers?” he asked.
Shakil Akhter Chowdhury urged the government to create a comprehensive database of migrants, noting that the existing database is incomplete. He also said the government should improve consular services for migrants and ensure social protection for all migrant workers.
Former Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Salim Reza highlighted some good practices in overseas employment. He noted that migrants are going to Japan as technical interns without incurring any migration costs, and that similar good practices are being followed in employment to South Korea. However, he did not provide statistics on employment in those countries.
Salim Reza said that many Bangladeshis migrate to Saudi Arabia—the largest labour market for Bangladesh—but many of them fail to secure jobs or receive regular salaries there. He also stressed the need to hold joint working group meetings regularly to address migrants’ issues.
Policy Adviser at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Zia Hassan said various steps have been taken to improve migrant welfare, but obstacles often arise during implementation.
Citing an example, Zia Hassan said phone numbers had been provided so members of the diaspora could contact officials when they faced problems. However, officials were reluctant to share WhatsApp numbers, fearing an overwhelming volume of calls.
WARBE Development Foundation Chairman Syed Saiful Haque said the government should recognise and consider the voices of migrant workers and civil society organisations.
IOM deputy chief of mission in Bangladesh, Catherine Northing, Stakeholder advisory group Mahjabeen Khaled and WARBE director Jasiya Khatoon, among others, spoke at the consultation.