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Ratify UN, ILO conventions to ensure migrant workers' rights

Speakers urge govt

Our Correspondent, ctg
Speakers at a discussion on Thursday called on the government to immediately ratify the UN and 11.0 conventions to protect the rights of migrant workers who are contributing to the country's economy.
They also underscored die need for decentralising formal sources of information about the recruiting procedures or international labour market so that intending workers can get correct information from different parts of the country and avoid exploitation by fake sources
The speakers said this at the discussion on 'Streamlining the labour migration from Bangladesh with ratification of UN and ILO conventions on migration rights' jointly organised by Welfare Association for the Rights of Bangladeshi Emigrants (WARBE),
Brae and Development Foundation and Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) at the Chittagong Press Club.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Jafar Alam was present on the occasion as the chief guest while WARBE Chairman Syed Saiful Hoque was in the chair.
The speakers also urged the government to highlight the campaign for the ratification of 1990 UN Convention on 'Protection of the rights of all the migrant workers and their families' and ILO convention related to migration no 143,97 and 181 with the adaptation of its framework on labour migration.
Presenting his keynote paper, Saiful Hoque termed the UN convention the most important international instrument regarding migrant workers.
The convention came into force
in June 2005 with the ratification of 20 countries, he said, adding that a total of 37 countries have already ratified the convention.
He further said although Bangladesh signed the convention on October 7 in 1998, the country has not vet ratified it.
In the fiscal 2007-08, Bangladesh received S8.0 billion as remittance from the migrant workers, he said, adding that the amount is double of the total foreign aid and is equivalent to 48.5 percent of the country's total export earnings.
They have become vulnerable section of our labour force since they are facing many hardships both at home and in the destination countries, he added.
Pointing to the importance of mass awareness about migration. Jafar Alam stressed on incorporating the rules and procedures
regarding passport, visa and recruitment in the academic curricula so that students from their early ages can be educated with these procedures.
Chittagong Press Club General Secretary Ejaz Eusoofi said as the population is increasing day by day and the country is failing to create new jobs, people have no alternative but to go abroad in search of their livelihoods.
Underscoring the need for bringing the activities of the recruiting agencies under the rules and regulations and monitoring their activities, he urged the government to bring the fake recruitingagencies under trial.
Tapan Datta of TYade Union Centre, Khondoker Rezaunul Karim of Manusher Jonno Foundation and YPSA Director (field operation) Mahbubur Rahman also spoke.