Rehabilitate Libya returnees
Speakers urge govt
Speakers at a discussion yesterday emphasised on rehabilitating the returnee migrants from Libya by creating livelihoods instead of providing them one-time financial assistance.
They urged the government to prepare a database of the returnees incorporating detailed information about them so that the returnees could be easily involved with various projects taken by the government and non-government organisations (NGO).
Refugee and Migratory Movement Research Unit (RMMRU) organised the discussion on “Rehabilitation of Returnee Migrants from Libya” at CIRDAP auditorium in the city. Top government officials, university professors, researchers, lawyers, students, NGO representatives and business leaders took part in the discussion.
Presenting a keynote paper at the function, RMMRU Chairperson Dr Tasneem Siddiqui said more than 34,000 Bangladeshi workers have recently returned from Libya and initiatives should be taken for their rehabilitation.
Tasneem, also a professor of Political Science in Dhaka University, said all concerned would have to work together along with the government to cope with the challenge.
She pointed out that RMMRU took initiatives to prepare a modern database of these returnees while many already started sending their information online.
The government should come forward to prepare a master database, rich with all pertinent information about the returnees, she added.
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said beyond the traditional labor markets in the Middle East, more suitable markets for Bangladeshi workers must be found out to face the challenges of the returnees.
He said steps must be taken to increase per capita income, expand Bangladesh's labour market, enhance skills of workers to face the global challenges and reduce labour transition cost.
Information on the returnees would have to be collected correctly so measures could be taken for their re-migration. The business chambers and trade bodies would have to come forward to create employment for them, he added.
Dr Debapriya also said Expatriate Welfare Bank, which will become functional shortly, should provide sufficient loans to returnees from Libya on priority basis.
Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Dr Jafar Ahmed Khan described the importance of remittance sent by expatriate Bangladeshi workers and said some 4 lakh workers go abroad every year.
The contribution of their remittance is some 13 percent to the country's GDP, he said, adding that the government is working for their welfare.
Emphasising on preparing a database of the returnees, the secretary requested RMMRU authorities for officially handing over the information on Libya returnees to the government to prepare a good database.
RMMRU Treasurer and Supreme Court lawyer Dr Shahdeen Malik, Director General of BMET Khurshed Alam Chowdhury also spoke.
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