STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Bangladesh Parliamentarians’ Caucus on Migration and Development yesterday said migrant workers have been ignored in the proposed national budget for 2023-2024, as the government did not come up with any new financial measure for them.

Although contributions of more than 1.49 crore expatriates working in 176 countries in Bangladesh’s national development are well recognised, its reflection is absent in the proposed budget, the caucus said in a statement, signed by its President Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary and Secretary General Mahjabeen Khaled.

It urged the government to allocate Tk 4,500 crore in the revised budget for different ministries concerned for migrants’ welfare.

The caucus said Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in his budget speech mentioned the government’s different initiatives to enhance migrant workers’ skills. However, he did not announce any new financial measure in this regard.

Nevertheless, the finance minister told the Jatiya Sangsad lack of skills of migrant workers has been hindering a satisfactory growth of inward remittance, it added.

Despite having recommendation to increase the existing 2.5 cash incentive further to remit money through formal channels, the proposed budget missed out on the issue.

In the proposed budget, the government has allocated Tk 1,018 crore for the expatriates’ welfare ministry.