FBCCI to raise fund for Libya returnees
Businessmen assure jobs
The country's apex trade body, the FBCCI, yesterday announced that it will create a fund for the returnees affected most by the Libyan crisis, with the view to standing by the migrants who play crucial role in national economy.
"We will create a fund with contributions from different trade bodies and from the government to help rehabilitate our brothers," said AK Azad, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
Those affected comparatively little will be provided jobs as per their skills, said Azad.
He said they want to give a clear message to the Bangladeshis returning home from or still stranded in Libya, Egypt or Tunisia that the businesses of Bangladesh and the government are ready to extend help in the crisis.
Azad said this at a discussion organised by the FBCCI on the situation of North Africa and Middle East at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the city yesterday.
Appreciating the FBCCI move, Centre for Policy Dialogue's (CPD) distinguished fellow Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya said the returnees should be provided with some cash immediately, so they can recover from a trauma-like situation.
At the airport, they should be given warm welcome with some water, food, or even a mobile phone SIM, he said.
Dr Bhattacharya said a strong registration system is imperative to keep track of the returned workers, so they can be provided jobs or compensation anytime.
He said the NGOs running microcredit programmes can also come forward, and the Expatriates' Welfare Bank, which is soon to start operation, can come to their aid.
He said Bangladesh could face troubles in foreign reserve, as the growth of remittance sent by the expatriate Bangladeshis started declining from the middle of 2010 apparently due to economic recession. Instability in the Middle East could add to the blow, he said.
Debapriya said the FBCCI could prepare recommendations detailing what it can do and what the government should do at this stage.
At the discussion, a number of businessmen pledged that they would provide jobs for those returning from trouble-torn Libya.
For quick repatriation, the government could use Sylhet or even Kolkata Airport, said CPD Executive Director Dr Mustafizur Rahman, referring to IOM's assessment that it wants to fly home now 4,000 Bangladeshis a day, but Hazrat Shahjalal Airport has the capacity to handle 2,000-3,000 people.
Abul Bashar, president of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, said the government should utilise part of the Tk 1,000 crore wage earners' fund to help the returnees.
Jatiya Party lawmaker Anisul Islam Mahmud, Fazlul Azim MP, BGMEA President Abdus Salam Murshedy, IOM official Asif Munier, and other business leaders also spoke.
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