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Anis slams bureaucrats for high migration cost

Staff Correspondent
Anisul Islam Mahmud, chairman of the parliamentary Standing committee on expatriates' welfare ministry, yesterday criticised the bureaucrats for not being able to contain high cost that the overseas job seekers have to pay to go abroad.
“Why don't you know how the cost of migration is so high, and make mechanisms so that none can overcharge the overseas job seekers," he said while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar at National Press Qub in the city.
Anisul Islam made the remarks following speakers' concern that high cost was the major problem of going abroad forjobs.
Ilie government in 2006 fixed that the recruiting agencies can charge highest Tk 84,000 to send a worker abroad. But, workers payTk two lakh to Tk 2.5 lakh to go to the Middle Eastern countries and Malaysia andTk four lakh toTk five lakh to go to Singapore.
There are a lot of instances that migrant workers cannot recover the money that they spend in their contract period because of the high cost, the speakers said at the seminar titled 'Ratification of the UN convention on migrants and their Families'.
Manusher Jon no Foundation (MJF). Brae, Bangladesh Obhihashi Mahila Sramik Association, Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), War be Development Foundation, DanChurchAid, Obhibashi Kormi Unnayan Programme and Human Rights Development Information Centre organised the seminar.
"I would accuse the bureaucrats for this. Tk 84,000 was fixed a few years ago, and this cannot be universal rate. This is an artificial rate,” said Anisul Islam, also former foreign minister.
Bangladesh Bank and expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry know that recruiting agencies buy work visas through hundis, but nobody cared about it, he added.
"If visas are to be purchased, what is the problem to legalise the system?" he put a question.
Mahmud also criticised the recruiting agencies, saying that their duty is not only like matchmaking, rather they haw to play their due role in protecting the migrant workers.
Baira (Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies) should take actions against those who
overcharge the overseas job seekers. Anisul Islam mentioned.
Moderating the seminar, RMMRU Coordinator Prof CR Abrar said there is a fear that labour market will shrink if the UN Convention on the Migrants and their Families is ratified.
"Empirical evidence doesn't suggest anything such will happen if the convention is ratified," he said, adding that its ratification will rather help protect migrants' rights.
MJF Executive Director Shaheen Anam said the country has obligations to the migrant workers and would get international support if the UN convention is ratified. It is imperative for Bangladesh to ratify the convention, she added.
There are some good rules and regulations to check fraudulent practices in the overseas employment sector, but the authorities should enforce the rules now. Shaheen Anam said.
Warbe Development Foundation Chairman Syed Saiful Haque, recruiting agent Abdul Alim, Brae official Sheepa Hafiza. Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training Director General Masud Ahmed. Director Nurul Islam and BOMSA official Sumaiya Islam also spoke.