Migration
Loan meeting full cost demanded
A migrant workers' rights body yesterday demanded that the Expatriates' Welfare Bank provide the full cost of going abroad as loan to overseas jobseekers in order to ensure full transparency in the overseas recruitment process.
At present, the jobseekers spend Tk 2 lakh to Tk 5 lakh to go abroad whereas the government-fixed rate, including air fare, to pay recruiting agencies is Tk 84,000 for Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries, and Tk 1.2 lakh for Europe, according to the organisation, Bangladesh Migrants' Foundation (BMF).
However, the bank provides loans to the aspirant migrant workers as per government-fixed rates, said BMF Chairman Joynal Abedin Joy at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital.
The bank started its operations in April last year with Tk 100 crore as paid up capital to ensure that the jobseekers do not sell their land or properties, but get low-interest loan from the bank to go abroad.
"This aim is not fulfilled at all", said Joynal, also a returnee migrant.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments