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Unplanned overseas jobs for low-skilled workers push them into poverty

Citizens' dialogue told

Star Business Report
Overseas employment for low-skilled workers in an unplanned manner is pushing them towards poverty, aca-demies and civil society members said at a citizens' dialogue in Dhaka yesterday.
Former Awami League lawmaker Col (retd) Faruk Khan severely criticised the international rights organisations for not raising their voices when Bangladeshi workers are subjected to serious hurpan rights abuses.
The dialogue on "Remittance and Migrant Workers: The Hype and the Reality" was jointly organised by Shikkha Shastha Unnyan Karjakram (Shisuk) and Action Aid at the
National Press Club.
The speakers suggested that the government should seriously take diplomatic measures to bring an end to woes of migrant workers.
"In case workers are low-skilled, they cannot recover the money they spent for a job. Their asset valuation comes down. And. this takes in the countries where unemployment rate is very high," said Muzaffer Ahmad, chairman of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Trustee Board.
Referring to a study, the economist said the manpower agents at both the ends of labour sending and receiving countries extort foreign workers. “They should be brought
under stringent regulations.”
Speaking as the chief guest at the dialogue, Professor Muzaffer said the successive governments of the country tried to put some issues under carpet like rate of unemployment. When the government says there are only 27 lakh unemployed people, other statistics suggest the number to be 4 crore to 5 crore.
"As there are more unemployed people, overseas job is a feasible way. But, our government does not have any concrete policy on what professions should they choose," he said, adding that Bangladesh's diplomacy in the Middle Eastern countries should be employment-based.
"But, do our ambassadors there have expertise on it?" he posed a question, adding that no auditing is conducted in Bangladeshi missions abroad.
There is also absence of bilateral agreements with most of the labour receiving countries, which is why Bangladesh cannot negotiate with those countries regarding the viola-
tion of norms or other issues, Professor Muzaffer said.
Sociology Professor Mokaddcm Hossain of Dhaka University said a study that consulted over 200 migrant workers found Bangladeshi workers are subjected to serious exploitations and that the present mechanism of labour migration is pushing them into penury.
"It is a process of acute poverty," he said, adding that they are abused like bonded labourers and the nature of abuses is incredible.
Almost in 80 percent cases, migrant workers are cheated by brokers and many musclemen politicians make huge fortunes by exploiting these people, he added. Faruk Khan said there are many international rights organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Commission who often criticise Bangladesh for any sort of rights violation here, but their voices were not raised when Bangladeshis were subjected to torture in a foreign land.
He blamed the present government saying that it did not act properly about the workers' issues and said it is imperative to update the immigration laws and form a parliamentary caucus to monitor the total sector and protect their rights.
Shishuk Executive Director Sakiul Millat Morshed in his keynote presentation said the workers borrow money at high interest rates and sell land to pay over Tk 2 lakh to get a job abroad, but their salaries now are so low that they cannot recover it even in several years.
The government does not look at the issue, rather just focuses on the remittance they send and the number of workers going abroad, he said, adding: "Our embassies abroad also do not own our people,"
Syed Mahbub Elahi of Ovibashi Kormi Kalyan Bangladesh, Tanbir ul Siddique of Changemaker, Sharmeen Murshid of Brotee also spoke at the dialogue moderated by Actionaid Country Director Farah Kabir.